Dove launched the #ShowUs campaign to showcase real, unaltered photos of women in response to research finding that most women do not feel accurately represented in media. Through collaborations with Getty Images and Girlgaze, #ShowUs aimed to set a new standard for authentic representation of women worldwide. As a result of #ShowUs, over 100,000 women supported the campaign, 900+ companies downloaded and used the images, and most women felt the images better represented them and increased their likelihood to support brands using #ShowUs images. Dove's goal with #ShowUs was to drive loyalty and increase their brand value by resonating with their target audience.

1. Dove’s #ShowUs
Social Media Campaign
By Nicole LaBarre

2. Dove’s Brand
Founded in 1957, Dove started as a company that transformed the market with their profound Beauty
Bar that was proven to be better for the skin and produced transformative results. This product
revolutionized a new market for skin care products, and Dove took flight.
Now, 60 years later, Dove is the #1 recommended product by dermatologists. They have expanded their
product breadth into different market segments including shampoos and conditioners, while solidifying
their position as a leader in skin care by broadening their depth to include deodorants, lotions, and more.
“Women have always been our inspiration.”
Beginning in 2004, Dove launched their Campaign for Real Beauty, featuring real women in their
advertisements as Dove’s way to showcase real beauty. Through this campaign, Dove was able to widen
their standards of beauty.
Dove has made it their corporate mission to create beauty into a source of confidence, rather than
anxiety. To help combat the anxiety that women face when it comes to beauty, Dove introduced their
Self Esteem Project (DSEP) which provides self esteem education to young people through lessons,
workshops, and online resources.

3. Dove’s Real Beauty Pledge
1. We always feature women, never models
2. We portray women as they are in real life. We do
not digitally distort our images.
3. We are helping 40 million young people build
self-esteem and positive body confidence.
In 2017, the 60th anniversary of Dove, the Real Beauty
Pledge was released. Dove renewed their pledge as
their way of sticking to their commitment of
redefining beauty, challenging stereotypes, and
celebrating what makes women unique.
This pledge is representative of the value that
Dove places on the image they present and
how that affects the women in their target
audience.

4. What does #ShowUs mean?
In a recent study by Dove in March of 2019, it was discovered that nearly
70% of women don’t feel accurately represented in media and
advertising. The #ShowUs movement was Dove’s way to combat this
underrepresentation and help build confidence and acceptance.
Together, in collaboration with Getty Images and Girlgaze, Dove is
redefining how women are represented in advertisements with the
ultimate goal of setting a new standard for “authentic and diverse
representation of women across the world.”
Each woman photographed for the campaign was given the
opportunity to define their own tags and descriptions, allowing them to
feel completely represented.

5. #ShowUs Results
As a result, 100,000+ women worldwide have stood in
support of this campaign. 900+ companies in 40 countries
have downloaded over 7,500 of the images from the
project to use in their own advertising. Also, 62% of women
believe that the #ShowUs images better represent the
women in their country, and 66% of women have
responded saying that they are more likely to give their
business to brands that use #ShowUs images in their
advertising.
“This project is 100% powered by women, depicted as
they are in real life, with absolutely no digital
distortion.”

6. -MARINA
“Femininity is often depicted as a formula – cut
your hair like this, wear that. To me, it's about
loving yourself fearlessly for who you are.”

7. 03
01
INCITE ENGAGEMENT
DRIVE LOYALTY
Dove has been a
household name for
over half a century.
Through the #ShowUs
campaign, their goal
was to drive loyalty by
resonating with their
target audience and
making them feel seen.
02
INCREASE BRAND V
ALUE
Dove’s focus was on
increasing brand value. While
brand equity was already
strong, by increasing their
relationship with their
customers, the value of the
Dove name skyrocketed.
By adding #ShowUs to the
title of their campaign, Dove
invited women to join their
movement on their own
social media channels. The
opportunity to engage with
the brand allowed women to
share their own stories and
experiences.
BUSINESS OBJECTIVES OF THE CAMPAIGN

8. WHY IS #SHOWUS SO
COMPELLING?
BEING A YOUNG WOMAN...
the media plays such a large role in how I
view myself. Growing up, I was never the
smallest of my friends, and having little to
no representation of people like me in
advertisements influenced the way i
viewed myself.
THIS PROJECT...
allowed me to see that I wasn’t alone in
my insecurities. There are so many
women who even look differently from
me, and because of Dove, I was able to
see their true beauty.
NOW EVERY WOMAN...
can be represented in the beauty
industry, and other women can know that
they aren’t alone in their struggles.

9. Nicole
United States
#ShowUs
Perfectly real.

10. PHOTOS
● Dove Logo
● iPhone Graphic
● Website used to create GIF
● Collage in Slide 5
● Photo of Malina
● Slide 8 Image
SOURCES
INFORMATION
● Unilever- Dove
● Unilever- #ShowUs
● Dove- About
● Dove- #ShowUs
● K-Weston Dove #ShowUs Spotlight
● Shorty Awards- Dove #ShowUs