Dove Launches Campaign Celebrating Women in Sports

Dove has launched a campaign in partnership with the Greek Women’s National Football Team to encourage women’s participation in sports. 

Created by Dove and Ogilvy, the campaign has been designed to showcase women’s beauty in sport – with research from Dove finding that one in two girls drops out of sports because of concerns about appearance.

It features players from the national team and authentic match footage, and has been created to portray beauty in “unexpected” ways, says Ogilvy. By portraying the “full spectrum of emotions that accompany great sporting moments,” as expressions of beauty, and using the stories of female athletes, the campaign has been designed to keep girls playing sports. 

The campaign will run across digital platforms and social media channels. 

Keeping women in sports

Keeping women in sports

This recent campaign sits within Dove’s wider ‘Keep her Confident’ initiative, a body confident sport programme designed to keep women in sports. 

In 2023, the company teamed up with Nike to launch this programme as a scientifically proven set of coaching tools, designed to build body confidence in girls between the ages of 11 and 17.

According to findings from Dove and Nike in Canada, 44% of girls dropping out were told they don’t have the right body for sport, while 45% were objectified or judged on their physical appearance. 

This programme is designed to reduce self-objectification and increase body-esteem, and is being delivered through a global network of organisations in schools and sports clubs.

“Nike believes all kids should have an opportunity to play, and we're focused on expanding play and sport for girls who are moving the least,” Vanessa Garcia-Brito, Chief Impact  Officer of Nike, says of the initiative.

“Globally, girls face complex cultural and social barriers, and they also enter sport later and drop out of sport earlier. 

“Our partnership with Dove, and unique focus on coaching through body confidence, aims to change that. Together, we're taking action to break barriers by providing coaches with the tools to empower girls with a lifetime of confidence.

“By shifting the conversation from what their bodies look like to what their bodies can do – so more girls can stay in sport and experience the benefits – we believe we're creating the next generation of female leaders and changemakers who will move the world forward.”

‘The Game Is Ours’

Dove released a campaign with a similar message earlier this year.

The thirty second ‘The Game Is Ours’ advertisement was designed to celebrate joy, resilience and confidence of girls in sports, and aired during the second quarter of the Superbowl. 

It centred on more than 90 athletes, using choreography across sports such as swimming, American football and mixed martial arts. 

“Girls are leaving sports at alarming rates due to body confidence pressures. Now more than ever, they deserve environments and support systems that celebrate who they are and what they can do – not what they look like,” said Marcela Melero, Chief Growth Officer of Dove Personal Care & Masterbrand North America.

“This campaign is about more than a single moment, it's part of an ongoing, long-term effort from Dove to remind every girl that her joy, confidence and love for sports is louder than any criticism she faces.”