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 International Women's Day seems like as good a time as any to talk about Dove. Unless you've been living under a rock, you can't have missed Dove's highly successful Campaign for Real Beauty, which was launched in 2004. Then came Dove's Evolution of Beauty video which garnered praise from marketers and consumers alike, picking up a heap of awards and accolades along the way. And last month Dove's pro-age site launched. It's aimed at the 50+ women's market. It's a strong campaign, once again. (I find the site a little wanting, but perhaps more on that another time...)

Okay, to be nitpicky, as a copywriter I do take exception to this section of the FAQ section of the pro-age site that says:

Why nude women? Was it really necessary to show so much skin?
The advertising campaign is about real honest beauty. The statement we clearly wanted to make is that it is time for women to stop hiding the signs of aging, and instead, be proud of how they look—even in their later years. We didn't want to cover these women or enhance their appearances because they are beautiful just as they are. We believe it was necessary to show skin, age spots, wrinkles and grey hair to show women are stunning at any age.

Did you catch it? The word "even"… as in "-even in their later years." Hmmm, I'm surprised that one slipped by.

I was also a little surprised that I couldn't find any reference to International Women's Day on any of the Dove sites today…  But, all of my petty grousing aside, the whole campaign has been pretty much letter-perfect.

There are a lot of lessons here for the small and medium sized business marketer:

Even the most conventional product can take a provocative stance. It wasn't advertising so much as it was politics. The brand quite literally "outted" the reality of beauty product marketing.  As Shelley Lazarus --the chairman-CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide-- said, "The question is: "Can you have your brand lead a movement?"

Marketers need to tap into culture's zeitgeist. Dove separated itself from the pack by being authentic and connecting with women in a way that was real. All of my girlfriends have mentioned the Dove video or various advertisements to me, commenting on them. I can't think of another campaign that has had that effect.

Depth! - The emotional depth of the campaign is pretty astounding. One of the drivers behind brand loyalty is emotion, so when you can stir the heartstrings it also fuels consumer-fortified media. It was this intensity of emotion that engaged the viewers in a discussion, and ultimately the reason why the Evolution of Beauty video was embedded into countless blogs.

Make it easy to share the message. Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty took advantage of new media tools like few other companies, implementing viral techniques, mobile marketing, an interactive web site with discussion forums, downloads, e-cards, and of course, a tell-a-friend tool.

I know there are lots of other lessons to be learned here, but a girl's gotta work. If you have some insights you want to share - leave a comment!!

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