"The Dove Code" stands as both a timely and timeless initiative, addressing the critical challenges posed by the burgeoning influence of AI on content creation. This project is acutely relevant today, as we stand on the cusp of a future where AI is projected to generate 90% of online content by 2025. Considered part of the 3rd Industrial Revolution, AI issues are already compared by the UN at the same risk of nuclear war. The prevailing trend within AI-generated imagery showcases a homogenized beauty standard—37% featuring blonde hair and 53% depicting white, tanned skin—mirroring and amplifying societal biases. Such trends threaten to erode the progress made towards embracing a more inclusive spectrum of beauty, underscoring the urgent need for interventions like "The Dove Code."

This initiative becomes timeless through its integration of Dove's two-decade-long advocacy for real beauty into the digital DNA of AI, ensuring that the technology's portrayal of beauty aligns with more diverse standards. The "Global State Beauty Research" by Dove amplifies the necessity of this project, revealing the impact of AI on body confidence, with 1 in 3 women feeling compelled to alter their appearance due artificial beauty on social media. By embedding Dove's legacy of challenging beauty norms into AI, solid made by 20 years of brand's public relations and reputation, The Dove Code" not only addresses immediate concerns but also lays a foundational blueprint for the future generations to come, making the project a pivotal moment in the ongoing dialogue around beauty, technology, and society.

Dove has long been at the forefront of advocating for real beauty, challenging the unrealistic pervasive industry beauty standards. Since the 2004 "Campaign for Real Beauty," Dove has focused on representing real women authentically. Celebrating the campaign's 20th anniversary in 2024, Dove's global beauty study revealed a concerning trend: 1 in 3 women feel compelled to alter their appearance due to online beauty standards. The objective was dual: to honor Dove's legacy by promoting a wider spectrum of beauty across its communications and ensuring that technology accurately showcases this diversity, countering the spread of artificial beauty that perpetuates stereotypes. Despite Dove's commitment to never use AI to create or distort images of women, the broader challenge remains, as we know the world will do so. “The Dove Code” project is Dove's response, aiming to redefine and inclusively represent beauty in the digital age, particularly within AI-generated content.

The strategy is rooted in comprehensive data analysis to target women of all ages globally. We conducted "The Real State of Beauty" research involving over 33,000 participants across 20 countries, mirroring a study Dove conducted two decades ago. This study illuminated the impact of artificial beauty on women's self-esteem, revealing that artificial intelligence emerged as a threat to women's self-perception in 2024, especially on social media. As a result, we presented Dove as a code for a healthier AI-representation of women. Our global campaign strategically demonstrates how AI tools generate biased portrayals of women. By contrast, Dove emerges as a trusted ally committed to fostering diverse representations. Therefore, a diverse influencer squad was a tangible way to show how the AI bias works. Through this multifaceted approach, we aim not only to raise awareness but also to enact tangible change in depicting real beauty in the digital age.

"The Dove Code" signifies a pivotal juncture in Dove's 20-year endeavor to challenge and redefine beauty norms. This initiative harnesses Dove's extensive campaign archive, encompassing over 2,800 initiatives, 14,000 diverse women, and a substantial investment in social causes, impacting over 100 million lives. It employs AI to reshape beauty perceptions, informed by Dove's extensive "Real State of Beauty".

The execution involved meticulous prompt testing in AI tools, generating thousands of images reflecting Dove's unwavering commitment to real beauty—without additional software manipulation. Drawing from internet-wide databases, the AI systems seamlessly aligned with Dove's vision upon the inclusion of the phrase "according to Dove real beauty campaign."

The campaign's global outreach comprised multifaceted media execution—film segments set to a rendition of "Pure Imagination," social media initiatives, and location-specific billboards showcasing AI biases and Dove's corrective influence. Accentuated by global PR events in major cities, attended by prominent voices against AI gender bias, Dove unveiled comprehensive guides to foster broader adoption of healthier AI representations of beauty.

This immersive campaign, underpinned by rigorous strategy and innovative technology, not only amplified Dove's legacy but also established a new standard for the representation of women in the digital age.

Dove changed AI because it has actively redefined beauty through over 2,800 global campaigns, featuring more than 14,000 diverse real women in 20 years. Since 2004, Dove tripled its turnover to reach €6 billion in 2024 - its largest sales volume increase in ten years. Initiatives like the Dove Self-Esteem Project and the Crown Act have impacted over 100 million girls' lives. The campaign received 94% of positive sentiment and marked the biggest PR coverage of Dove's history. The "Global State of Beauty" research findings, a widely viewed campaign film (over 500 million organic views globally), and "Real Beauty Prompt Guidelines" that attracted over 10,000 downloads in two weeks generated, altogether, over 4 billion organic impressions for the campaign. This comprehensive approach resulted in over 1,000 global press and social media publications, with coverage in major outlets like Fast Company, FOX, Globo, NBC, Forbes, and Elle.