SITUATION:

Unrealistic beauty standards perpetuated by influencers and social media are impacting young women's self-esteem and mental health like never before. According to recent studies conducted by Dove, over 9 out of 10 mental health professionals are concerned about the increase in self-harm and suicide among youth, due to exposure to social media (Brazil 96%, EU 91%).

BRIEF:

While Dove has been globally addressing that issue, we faced the challenge of bringing this topic to light in a country where social media usage exceeds the global average. The task was to develop a creative solution to challenge beauty standards and promote authentic beauty representation.

OBJECTIVES:

The primary objective was to raise awareness about the detrimental effects of social media and filter excess. Additionally, Dove aimed to solidify its position as a brand advocating for real beauty and to engage influencers and celebrities to endorse this message authentically.

Dove's #NoFilterContract goes beyond advertising: it's a commitment to real, unaltered beauty, that has become a nationwide debate and a cultural shift.

Breaking new ground, Dove has established a no-filter policy for its ambassadors, marking a historic moment in brand advocacy.

The central challenge of Dove's #NoFilterContract campaign was to engage influencers in a commitment that directly contradicted the prevailing norms of their profession, even risking existing contractual obligations with other brands. The campaign featured them posting unfiltered stories and expressing their journey towards embracing natural beauty.

In a strategic move to implement the No Filter Contract, Dove even subverted its own guideline of avoid hiring celebrities. Recognizing that celebs and digital influencers are crucial in defining beauty standards, Dove sought to disrupt the prevailing narrative.

This impactful initiative aimed to generate extensive media attention and drive regulatory changes, making social media a safer and less toxic space.

The essence of Dove's #NoFilterContract arose from a critical tension: two decades after the Campaign for Real Beauty, which showcased unaltered women, celebrities and influencers continued to dictate global beauty standards. This issue was exacerbated by the widespread use of filters on social media, adversely affecting the self-esteem and mental health of young girls. In response, Dove engaged celebrities, not for traditional endorsements, but to commit to completely abandoning filters.

The unprecedented contract generated significant buzz on social networks and in the press, fostering public participation and conversation. We targeted not only moms and dads, but the whole society: from those who set the standards to those who are pressured by them..

Once the contract was signed, all content posted by the hired squad from that day on automatically became a Dove asset, even those sponsored by other brands, as they followed our no-filter policy.

The campaign's execution involved negotiating with high-profile social media personalities, who agreed to forgo the use of any filters in their content, both sponsored and organic. This commitment was a substantial challenge, as it required these influencers to change their usual practices that directly affect their professional and public image.

Once the contract was signed, all content posted by the hired squad from that day on automatically became a Dove asset, even those sponsored by other brands, as they followed our no-filter policy.

This strategy generated significant buzz on social networks and in the press, fostering public participation and conversation: from social media to TV.

Dove was even invited to participate in a public hearing on the subject, in Brazil's Federal Congress. This recognition marked a significant step in Dove's mission to positively influence social media, striving to make it a safer and less toxic space.

Dove played a crucial role in highlighting the impact of filters on Brazilian youth mental health. The results exceeded expectations, achieving over 138 million total impacts. 58% of this result was organic, marking a performance 3.8 times higher than expected.

Over 18 million impressions were recorded in the phase of awareness of the issue . The virality on Dove's page in the first phase reached 14.3%. The organic engagement rate during the peak phase of community dialogue reached 7.8%. Achieving significant results in content virality was essential. Influencer results totaled 19.1 million impacts, exceeding the target by 12%, and garnered 1.31 million interactions between influencers and their communities, 9.4 times greater than previous benchmarks.

The No Filter Contract took Dove where no other brand has been before: Brazil's National Congress, as the only brand invited to discuss the impact of social filters on mental health.