Dove Men: Face Torture
Even the toughest faces need pampering.
The situation:
According to Unilever research, nearly half of U.S. men don't use face wash or moisturizer and Dove Men aims to teach men the face-care messages aimed for so many years at women. The three-year-old Dove Men+Care line, which targets consumers ages 35 to 44, aims to portray men as confident in being the guy next door. "He's as comfortable having a six-pack with the guys as he is having a tea party with his daughter," says Mr. Candelino. "He's a real guy." The move is a deliberate break from how men are often portrayed in advertising, as an "alpha male, Ferrari-driving, dates the supermodel kind of guy," or the "fumbling, bumbling buffoon," Mr. Candelino says.
The campaign, which urges men to "end the face torture," shows how a man's face is exposed to harsh elements, such as windburn from a roller coaster, pokes from a child, close shaves, snowballs, and even "deserved" slaps. "The point is that you put your face through a lot, and you are unknowingly damaging your face," says Rob Candelino, vice president of Unilever skin care.
And this is where the TV spot ends, along with long-term engagement. To build on this campaign, VaynerMedia understood that we needed to capitalize on how people use social media, leaning into real-time campaign ideation and the popularity of community engagement when it came to helping create the ad itself, and it’s outcomes in a funny but compelling way. Enter the Face Torture Face Off.
The idea and execution:
Men torture their faces every day, and Dove Men+Care provides the care they need to carry on. We hired professional stuntman Steve McMichael to participate in the Face Torture Face-Off to prove this.
During the one-hour live event, fans could log on and vote between two objects to be launched at Steve's face using a hydraulic launcher built especially for the event. Ten rounds offered choices such as Arts and Crafts (glitter or paint) and Dinner (spaghetti or meatballs).
It was every bit as awesome as it sounds.