Dove is making a big statement with its latest ad campaign—and it all came together incredibly quickly. As you’ve probably noticed, many brands, beauty and otherwise, have had to quickly shift gears as much of America (and the world) battles against the coronavirus pandemic. From reorienting production in their factories toward much-needed hand sanitizer to making large donations, a lot of companies are doing whatever they can to help.
That also means you’ve probably seen a lot of advertising that addresses the pandemic and its economic repercussions head on. But Dove is going right for the heart with a message of gratitude for health care workers tirelessly working on the front lines to help treat COVID-19 patients with its new Courage Is Beautiful campaign. The first ad is beautiful in its simplicity—flashing the faces of nurses and doctors with their faces marked by the protective gear they must wear every day. The ads, which ran initially in Canada, are now rolling out in the U.S.
“There was a feeling we got that courage is beautiful,” Alfredo Manfredi, executive vice president of the Global Dove brand, told Ad Age. “We thought, Why not try to show people who were doing this and also ask people to join us to thank these people who are risking their lives? We did it in, I have to say, four or five days.”
The brand is also donating to Direct Relief as part of the effort. “As a thank you, Dove is donating to @DirectRelief to care for front-line health care workers in the US. See what else we’re doing and join us at Dove.com/BeSafe,” it tweeted. Dove’s parent company, Unilever—which also houses Tresemmé, Simple, Suave, and St. Ives, among others—has overall donated more than $108 million in supplies and money to relief efforts via Feeding America and other charities.
Watch the ad below:
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People on social media were certainly moved by the images. “This is amazing. Companies are taking it upon themselves to temporarily change their logos and create campaigns that can really help,” one person tweeted. “Dove is even donating to front-line medical workers and hospitals for support. Beautiful campaign.”
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It really is wonderful to see these everyday heroes put front and center, where they belong.
