Dove Men+Care is committed to addressing and dismantling the stereotypes that hold men back from being their most caring selves. Following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, the brand made a focused commitment to Black men – who have continued to face disproportionate levels of discrimination and misrepresentation – by continuing the commitment to debunk these stereotypes in an effort to create a world where Black men and young men are cared for, respected, and supported. In 2021, brand research showed that white people were more likely to see Black men as an athlete over any other profession. This one-dimensional stereotype around Black men’s physicality is harmful. Our objective was to build brand awareness and share in the racial equity space by driving a lasting impacting for Black men and the next generation by dismantling harmful stereotypes.

Dove Men+Care created “Off Court Champs” to address how Black men are represented in culture by turning the off-court success stories of ten athletes into works of art. We illustrated their stories on bespoke basketballs, putting them in the hands of the next generation to challenge stereotypes and inspire possibilities for their futures.

The brand leveraged one of the largest cultural and sporting moments in the U.S., the March Madness college basketball tournament, as our lightning rod moment to draw attention to the issue.

After identifying a group of former and current student athletes turned CEOs, artists, doctors, teachers, and more who prioritize care over everything, we worked with artist Kingsley Nebechi to design 10 bespoke basketballs that highlighted their individual stories and achievements.

Each illustration was crafted to reflect the multi-dimensional story of each man, revealing intimate details about their dreams, passions, and care off the court. They were printed on blank canvas basketballs through a proprietary water-based process.

Through a partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, we delivered the balls directly to students throughout the U.S. We also highlighted these designs and the stories that inspired them through earned media outreach and through the influencers themselves.

The campaign resulted in Dove Men+Care retaining 1st place in awareness for the men’s overall personal care & grooming category. Coverage and social conversation drove a lift in favorability and ad recall among those exposed. The campaign also drove an increase in ‘Brand Power’ scores, directly answering the brief to raise awareness for the brand and its purpose platform.

Earned Media:

• Over 300 placements

• 96% of placements included a link to the film or an image of the basketballs

• Placements include Today, Yahoo, USA Today, Forbes, CBS Sports

• 32 organic social posts highlighting the balls

Owned Social

• Across 26 posts: over 145,000 impressions, over 4,000 engagements and nearly 12,000 video views

Paid influencers

• Across 71 posts: nearly 27,000 engagements, 500,000 impressions and 221,000 video views

Off Court Clinics

• Connected with more than 200 high school students from 10 different cities