21 February 2007

Dove Pro-Age Campaign

This'll be my third post about Dove Pro-Age. It's not because I'm obsessed with attractive, naked Baby Boomer women (although I am) - but because this may end up being a watershed campaign.

While we won't be seeing the spot on TV, the rest of the world will be. However, the print ads are in some ways even better. A few grabs from my book:
  • Contrary to popular myth, Baby Boomers do not believe that they are still teenagers or young adults …
  • Boomers are slyly redefining what it means to be the ages they are. Included in this new definition are some youthful attitudes, but the real change is that instead of winding down, many are winding up …
  • There is a big difference between thinking you are younger than you are, and not thinking that you are old. This "night and day" distinction may confuse many pundits, but it does not confuse most Boomers …
  • Baby Boomers do not want to be twenty again, or thirty again. They want to feel as good as they possibly can for the ages they are. They do not want to be marketed and advertised to as if they were young adults or thirty-somethings ...
  • In fact, Baby Boom women are the real age revolutionaries. Many are feeling very empowered, very alive, and ready to take on the world. While they could do without some of the wrinkles and some of the aches, ask most women over forty if they would like to live their twenties and thirties all over again, and they'll say, "No thanks. I'm happier and more productive now than I have ever been." …
  • So if an advertising agency tells you "when you target 19-to-35-year-olds, you likewise reach Baby Boomers," they are sadly out of touch with one of the largest and certainly the richest market segment today ...
Seems like I was conjuring up the The Dove Pro-Age campaign two and a half years ago.

One of the major reasons it all works is because of Annie Leibovitz. While she's much, much more, Ms. Leibovitz can certainly be described as the quintessential Baby Boomer creative. (And a very hands-on CEO was deeply involved in the campaign.)

Bring 50+ creatives back into the fold (and/or find new ones), and you may end up with similar results: a revolutionary campaign that resonates with your target market.

1 comment:

  1. You're absolutely on target, Chuck. As usual. It ticks me off that these TV spots won't see the light of day in the U.S. The insanity of the schizo American society's view of nudity. Baby boomer women are revolutionaries. Maybe that's why pole dancing parties are so popular now. It's more than exercise. It's sexual expression. Here's the NY Times link for today's story on the phenomenon of pole dancing: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/nyregion/24pole.html?th&emc=th
    Marty

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.