FH25 - DOVE Pro‑Age: Does beauty have an age limit?
The challenge
The Pro‑Age range was aimed at women over 45. Creatives subtly, but clearly depicted the bodies of naked mature women. We thought it too risky to present this without prior education. In addition, we decided that it is necessary to start an awareness-raising dialogue first - and only after that it is worth launching the campaign itself.
The solution
🔹 Known women - real stories: Nóra Szily became the face of the campaign - an authentic, lovable personality able to identify with the target group. She interviewed celebrities over the age of 45 who ran in lifestyle and national media.
🔹 Opinion articles in the press have been written by well-known men and women about what female age, beauty and identity mean in Hungary over 45. Nők Lapja devoted an entire issue to the topic.
🔹 Involvement of the Ludwig Museum: we offered round tables, mini-research, product testing, individual interviews and this is where journalists first encountered the product range.
🔹 National community building roadshow: in cooperation with local women's organizations, we held presentations and discussions on the topic in 15 cities.
🔹 Ambassador program: we chose ordinary women as campaign ambassadors
🔹 Press workshops and thematic “Pro-Age Stops”: presentation of the Pro-Age campaign and the topics that can be grouped around it, with the help of experts invited by journalists
🔹 The book Ők a nők: the presentation of Nóra Szily's book “They are women” in the ceremonial hall of the Szabó Ervin Library on Woman's Day, with a full house, and the book topped the domestic sales lists.
The result
🔹 Sales volume targets were tripled, and Pro-Age products became bestsellers in 2008.
🔹 The campaign generated 144 publications.
🔹 The book Ők a nők was on Libri's top 10 bestseller list.
🔹 The concept of the innovative campaign developed by us has been adapted by the client Unilever in six countries.
🔹 Our initiative targeting women aged 45-59 was awarded the Silver Effie Award in 2009, and in 2008 we were nominated for the prestigious international Excellence Awards.
🔹 When the creative materials were presented, the topic was already at the center of public discourse, the reception was positive.
That's why we love this job
We showed how to break a taboo in a conservative society, redefine beauty, make visible a hitherto invisible age group. This campaign is one of the bravest, finest works of our 25 years, with real social dialogue and impact.
