We used national magazine/newspaper/online and PR to invite real women over 45 to audition by writing and submitting a letter to their bodies. We received thousands of “Dear Body” letters from women across Canada, and after a rigorous in-person selection process, we culled the cast to 13. Cast members took sabbaticals, left families behind and gave up jobs. It was that important.www.Doveplay.ca served as a hub for women who auditioned and for thousands who wanted to track the play’s progress.Using national magazine ads, we announced our playwright, Judith Thompson, and our final cast.We documented the entire process on film, while seeking a television partner to help us bring the play to a wider audience. Eventually, we partnered with CBC, Canada’s national broadcaster, and Emmy award-winning documentarian, Veronica Tennant.Last summer, our play opened up to sold out crowds. Soon after, our documentary aired nationally.

2000 women auditioned for the play. 90, 000 visited www.doveplay.ca. We generated over 127 million media impressions, across all medias. There were 10 sold out shows, 10 standing ovations and a box office record for the first day of sales. Our documentary aired nationally during prime time in September and was just accepted into Canada’s oldest documentary film festival. But it doesn’t end there. The play script is now being published internationally in book form. Our documentary aired nationally on Valentine’s Day for a second time. A second run of the play begins this summer in Toronto. And plans to mount it a third time, at the 2010 Winter Olympics, are underway. In a world obsessed with youth, Dove believes women can be beautiful at any age. Body & Soul was a giant step toward proving it. And a giant idea that continues to make our client happier every day.