Dove marks its return to the Super Bowl for the first time in eighteen years with an advert which raises awareness that nearly half (45%) of girls quit sport by the age of 14, often due to body insecurities.
The 30-second campaign, called Hard Knocks, showcases young girls playing sports, including taking tumbles and jumping into pools to the tune of “It’s a Hard Knock Life”.
It then shows a girl displaying low body confidence, staring at herself in the mirror while wearing a swimming costume.
Copy then cites the shocking figure and says: “The knocks don’t stop girls playing sports low body confidence does”.
The advert ends with the girl putting on her goggles and cannonballing into the swimming pool with her friends.
Subscribe to Marketing Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest marketing news sent straight to your inbox each morning
Speaking to Campaign magazine, Ogilvy global executive David Fisher said: “The whacks of a failed landing in gymnastics, nor the hard tackles of soccer are the primary driver in making girls drop out of sports, it’s low body confidence”.
The spot builds on Dove’s 2006 Super Bowl campaign, which to the soundtrack of True Colours, focused on low confidence among girls, from freckles to weight. Dove has long championed body insecurity and was an official sponsor of the Women’s World Cup in 2023.
Writing on LinkedIn global chief communications officer at Ogilvy David Ford said: “The new ad, developed by a team led out of Ogilvy UK, marks the first time since 2006 that the brand will make an appearance during [American] football’s biggest night and builds on a 20-year legacy of championing self esteem.”
