Dove Men+Care launches global ‘Real Strength’ campaign in Australia via The Marketing Arm

This May, Dove Men+Care follows in the footsteps of its female counterpart, launching its ‘Real Strength’ campaign, developed by The Marketing Arm USA, that aims to drive a discussion around the evolving idea of masculinity among modern Australian men.

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The Australian campaign follows on from the successful launch of the global campaign at the Superbowl this year (the spot currently has more than 6 million views on YouTube and was ranked 13/61 advertisers). The commercial has been adapted for the Australian market to go to air in May, along with a Fox Sports partnership, and a 10-part digital podcast series with well-known Australians created in partnership with the Wake Up Project.

The campaign is based on insights derived from research carried out under the guidance of celebrated masculinity author and researcher Dr Michael Kimmel which found 90 per cent of Australian men surveyed agree that showing care is a sign of strength, and 85 per cent agree it takes strength and confidence for a man to show their vulnerable side.

The TVC, first aired Sunday 3 May consists of a 30-second spot that will run across metro and pay TV targeting general interest programs, supported with digital and video.

This is the second year of Dove Men+Care’s sponsorship of the Wallabies, heroed through a partnership with Fox Sports which will feature integration of content packages across TV and online. The packages will take a look at the life behind four Wallabies players and where they get their real strength from.

The 10-part podcast series, co-produced by Wake Up project and Dove Men+Care will each week feature a high profile Australian man who will open up about what real strength means to him. Guests for the podcast include Michael Cheika, Cameron Clyne, David Koch, and Michael Usher. The podcast series will be housed online at www.rugby.com.au and www.wakeupproject.com.au and supported through a strong digital and social campaign, calling for people to join the global #realstrength conversation.

Wake Up Project founder Jono Fisher says the synergies between what each brand is trying to achieve made the union a natural one.

Says Fisher: “I was contacted by Dove Men+Care after they saw the film ‘The Mask We Live In’ that we had premiered in Australia. The idea of challenging modern concepts of masculinity and encouraging men to feel comfortable expressing their vulnerable, emotional side is something that Wake Up Project has been committed to since its foundation in 2009.

“The research shows that 91 per cent of men respect other men who show emotion, but 62 per cent said they don’t feel comfortable crying in front of others because it could be viewed as weakness, so there is a real disconnect there. It highlights the importance of starting this conversation around what constitutes real strength in a man. It’s about giving men permission to be more emotionally honest in their family lives, workplaces and in society at large.”

Unilever marketing director Jon McCarthy said fostering brands with a purpose was something Unilever as a global company was passionate about, and the Dove Men+Care ‘Real Strength’ campaign was another example of that.

Says McCarthy: “Dove Women has led the way for years in terms of creating global campaigns focused on empowering women and encouraging conversation around real beauty, and now Dove Men+Care wants to do the same thing for men. The research shows the majority of men feel the media’s portrayal of masculinity is too narrow and out of sync with reality, and this is something we want to address through the ‘Real Strength’ campaign.”

Client name: Dove Men+Care

Media Agency: Mindshare