By Faye Brookman, AUGUST 21, 2024 || A Publication of CEW

In its latest campaign, Dove’s Real Beauty puts the spotlight on ageism.

In its 20-year history, Dove’s Real Beauty campaigns have hit upon issues targeting youthful consumers, from body positivity to the impact of social media on self-esteem. Over the years I’ve shared these poignant messages with my now 30-year-old daughter.

This time, Dove is talking to me.

At age 66, I’m one year younger than the iconic beauty bar that, according to the brand, can be found in one of four U.S. households. Like most women of a certain age, I don’t feel old, but I often feel unseen, especially by beauty companies.

I admit, it’s hard to please Boomers like me. I miss the days when I was a member of the largest population on Earth, and everything seemed to target and revolve around me and my peers. Like most Boomers, I feel like the best version of my 40-year-old self, not like the women who appear in late-night insurance ads, and certainly not like the actors who make falling alone at home seem decades away from anything that could happen to me. And yes, I cringe at the supermarket when asked if I qualify for a senior discount, and I cried when the AARP membership form arrived.

Only a few attempts to reach mature women in beauty have hit home for me; Laura Geller Beauty comes to mind. But Dove’s latest campaign, Beauty Never Gets Old, speaks to me on several levels.

I may be closer to 70 than 60, but I can still do a handstand – I’m a former gymnast and cheerleader. And so can Maureen, one of the 10 women aged 60-plus who appear in Dove’s campaign, who don Converse and shoot pool. Dove might be your grandmother’s soap, but she’s a cool grandmother.

The women selected for Beauty Never Gets Old appear on Dove’s social channels and on a billboard in Times Square above Sephora. A 30-second TV spot will air on major networks; shorter versions will appear on TikTok and YouTube. Dove has influencers lined up to support the message, and a partnership with “The Golden Bachelorette” is due out in the fall (featuring Joan Vassos, a stunning 61-year-old grandmother). Megan Trainor’s self-confidence tune “Me Too” provides a fitting soundtrack for the campaign.

The campaign’s casting call looked for women over 60 who brought their own style and glam, and embraced their age and beauty with confidence, said Divya Raghavan, Senior Brand Director of Dove Innovation and Equity. Women of all shapes, sexual identity, and ethnic backgrounds came to try out. “You see their personality and interests whether they’re doing a yoga pose or playing the guitar.”

The decision to tackle the stigma of aging stems from Dove research revealing that 66% of all women feel pressure to look young.

“More and more, age is becoming a source of fear and anxiety. We’ve made it part of our mission to shine a light on it,” said Raghavan.

Dove’s cross-generational appeal makes it is as popular with younger customers as with those over 60. “The Dove Beauty Bar is an iconic product and remains the number one dermatologist- and pediatrician-recommended bar. Whether Gen Z, Gen X, or the Boomer generation, Dove is on their sink or in their beauty routine. Two of the women in the film are mother and daughter and have been lifelong users,” she said.

Beauty veterans are glad to see a major brand help halt perpetuating unachievable beauty ideals.

“Dove has a reputation for pushing out the walls and expanding their customer reach beyond traditional beauty stereotypes,” said industry veteran Karen Young, CEO of The Young Group. “The iconic brand’s timing for this campaign is good: the use of bar soap has increased. Many consumers, in general, are turning to simpler beauty routines.”

Circana data supports the growth of bar soaps; dollar sales grew almost 9% in 2023 based on sales across multi-unit doors. Even more notable is an increase in unit sales at a time when unit sales of other soap forms are in decline. Dove controls more than 60% of the non-deodorant bar soap category, per Circana.

While resonating with Boomers has been tricky, things could be different this time. According to Candace Corlett, President of WSL Strategic Retail, 12,000 Boomers turn 65 daily and represent 17% of the population. That will stretch to 20% by 2030. During a symposium hosted by WSL, Corlett said Boomer women feel ignored when they walk into a specialty beauty store.

“Hats off to Dove for recognizing the aging of America and leading the crusade to recognize Boomers for the breakthrough generation that they are. Boomers have been accepting breakthrough products since they became parents like disposable diapers – and they will not be left behind in any category from beauty to technology and travel – and will make a fuss when society tries to ignore them,”

Corlett said.

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