Dove – Born to Run (Global/USA)
Partnered with Nike and athletes to keep girls in sports by tackling body confidence dropouts at puberty.
Submitted by Mindshare | WPP Media
Winner’s Citation
PLATINUM in the 2025 Marketing Makes a World of Difference Awards.
Dove’s “Born to Run” turned the spotlight of the Super Bowl into a platform for girls’ confidence. By exposing the hidden dropout crisis in youth sports, linking purchases to mentorship programs, and rallying athletes and fans around #KeepHerConfident, Dove transformed purpose into measurable action. With $50.5M in incremental sales and expanded resources for coaches and mentors, the campaign proved that purpose and commerce can run side by side—and keep girls in the game.
How it Makes a World of Difference
While women’s sports have surged in popularity, teenage girls still drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys—largely due to body confidence issues at puberty. Dove, with its 20-year legacy of building self-esteem, partnered with Nike to launch Born to Run during the Super Bowl, spotlighting this hidden crisis. Anchored by Bruce Springsteen’s iconic anthem and amplified by the hashtag #KeepHerConfident, the campaign gave parents, fans, and athletes a rallying cry to keep girls in the game. With every purchase linked to donations for mentorship programs, Dove connected purpose to commerce, turning cultural attention into concrete support for girls’ confidence in sports.
Jury Lens Evaluation
- Promise Becomes Action: Dove promised to empower girls’ confidence and acted by tackling dropout rates head-on, funding mentorship programs, and equipping coaches with resources.
- Trust: Partnerships with athletes like Venus Williams, Billie Jean King, and Simone Manuel reinforced credibility and authenticity.
- Growth: The campaign delivered $50.5M in incremental sales while reinforcing Dove’s leadership in purpose-led marketing.
- Difference: By fusing emotional storytelling with retail activation, Dove showed that purpose isn’t just a message—it’s a measurable, scalable engine for brand growth and social good.
Results that Make a Difference
- $50.5M in incremental sales across Dove’s personal care portfolio.
- 23% social share-of-voice during Super Bowl weekend, outperforming all category peers.
- Significant lifts in purpose attribution and purchase intent.
- Dove Body Confident Sport program expanded, giving coaches, parents, and mentors tools to build confidence in girls.
- National conversation ignited around body confidence in sport, amplified by athlete ambassadors and ESPN coverage.
