Dove (Unilever brand)

Personal care brand owned by the British company Unilever

For other uses, see Dove (disambiguation).

Dove

Product type| Personal care
Owner| Unilever
Introduced| 1957
Related brands|

* Dove Men+Care
* Baby Dove

Markets| Worldwide
Tagline| Let's Change Beauty
Website| www.dove.com/us/en/home.html

Dove is a personal care brand owned by the British consumer goods company Unilever.[1] Dove products are sold in more than 150 countries and are offered for women, men, babies and children.

The brand's logo is a silhouette profile of the brand's namesake bird. American chemist Vincent Lamberti was granted the original patents related to the manufacturing of Dove in the 1950s, while he worked for Lever Brothers.[2]

## History

[edit]

The brand's original product, the Dove Beauty Bar, was developed by Lever Brothers in the 1950s for the American market.[3] It was launched in the United States in 1957.[4] Not long after, the product was also introduced to Canada.[5] Unilever also briefly test marketed Dove in Europe in the mid-1960s.[5] However, Unilever did not proceed to launch the brand in Europe at that time.[6]

The Dove Beauty Bar was originally developed as a cleansing bar that would not leave behind a bathtub ring (i.e., soap scum).[3] In the 1950s, most American consumers preferred to regularly take baths while seated in bathtubs, rather than standing upright in showers.[3] Thus, the Dove Beauty Bar was intended to save consumers the time and labor needed to constantly scour away bathtub rings.[3] Lever Brothers solved this problem by formulating the Dove Beauty Bar from synthetic detergents, rather than traditional soap.[3]

The Dove Beauty Bar initially reached 3% market share but then remained a niche player in the U.S. bar soap market for over 25 years.[3] Somehow, the Dove brand ended up attached to both a premium bar soap and a discount dishwashing liquid (i.e., both made from synthetic detergents), and neither were very successful.[7]

In 1979, Unilever relaunched the Dove brand with a medical marketing campaign, claiming that dermatologists had confirmed Dove was less irritating to human skin than other soaps.[7] Today, Dove's mildness—due to its neutral pH—is still its primary selling point.[3] By 1986, Dove had become the best-selling soap brand in the United States.[7] In 1989, Unilever launched the Dove brand in Europe, starting with Italy.[6] In 1991, Dove's rapid growth helped "Unilever overtake Procter & Gamble as America's leading soap maker".[8]

The Dove Beauty Bar is primarily formulated with isethionates.[9] As of 1992, 47-49% of each Dove Beauty Bar in the United States consisted of sodium cocoyl isethionate (SCI), an "expensive ingredient".[9] About 23-25% of each bar consisted of fatty acids, presented as "moisturizing cream".[9] The bar is neutralized to a final pH of 7.2 to 7.5.[9] In the early 21st century, Unilever's success in promoting mildness as a desirable feature caused other cleansing bar manufacturers in Western Europe to reformulate their products away from alkyl sulfate and towards isethionates.[9]

The main "drawback" of sodium cocoyl isethionate bars is their strong coconut odor; as the word "cocoyl" implies, SCI is traditionally derived from coconuts.[10] This is why SCI bars like Dove were traditionally formulated with high fragrance levels, to mask their natural smell.[10] During the 1990s, the odor problem was solved by substituting sodium-distilled, topped cocoyl isethionate (STCI) for SCI, leading to the release of fragrance-free hypoallergenic isethionate bars for sensitive skin.[10] Unilever later transitioned from SCI to sodium lauroyl isethionate as the primary ingredient in the Dove Beauty Bar.[11]

Meanwhile, during the 1990s, Unilever extended the Dove brand to other skin cleansing products and then a broad line of personal care products.[3] By 2001, Dove was the leading brand of bar soap with 24% market share.[8] Within the United States, P&G's flagship personal care brand Olay was bringing in higher sales than the Dove personal care brand (because of Olay's better performance in other categories besides bar soap), but Dove had already surpassed Olay in terms of worldwide sales to become the global leader in personal care products.[8] As of 2001, Dove was bringing in over a billion dollars per year worldwide, and was Unilever's third-largest brand.[8]

## Product lines

[edit]

Products include antiperspirants/deodorants, body washes, beauty bars, lotions/moisturizers, hair care, or facial care products. Dove is primarily made from synthetic surfactants, vegetable oils (such as palm kernel) and salts of animal fats (tallow). In some countries, Dove is derived from tallow, and for this reason it is not considered vegan, unlike vegetable oil based soaps.[citation needed]

In January 2010, Unilever launched a men's toiletries range that was branded as "Dove Men + Care". In November 2013, Steve Bell of Macon, Georgia, won the Dove Men+Care Hair "King of the Castle Home Upgrade" contest, receiving a home upgrade and consultation with Jonathan Scott of Property Brothers.[12]

* Dove Shampoo & Conditioner

* Dove Intensive Cream

## Dove Campaign for Real Beauty

[edit]

Main article: Dove Campaign for Real Beauty

In September 2004, Dove began its Campaign for Real Beauty, followed by the creation of the Dove Self-Esteem Project in 2006, by Geyner Andres Gaona and Amy. The campaign has been criticized as hypocritical in light of the highly sexualized images of women presented in the advertising of Axe, which, like Dove, is produced by Unilever.[13][14]

## Controversies

[edit]

In October 2017, a three-second video for Dove body lotion posted on their page on Facebook in the United States prompted criticism and accusations of racism.[15] The video clip showed a black woman removing her T-shirt to reveal a white woman, who then lifts her own T-shirt to reveal an Asian woman. The full thirty-second television advert version included seven women of different races and ages.[16] Unilever has apologized for an advertisement, saying it should "never have happened" and pulled the advertisement.[17]

The ad sparked criticism, leading Dove to remove the advert, saying it "deeply regret(ted) the offence it caused." Dove further stated that the "video was intended to convey that Dove body wash is for every woman and be a celebration of diversity". The black woman in the advert, Lola Ogunyemi, said the advert had been misinterpreted and defended Dove.[18]

Starting in 2023, Greenpeace have a campaign "Real beauty, real harm" highlighting that Dove is polluting communities in countries like India, Indonesia and the Philippines, with plastic waste.[19]

Also in 2023, the UK Competition and Markets Authority announced that it would be scrutinising environmental claims made by the consumer goods group Unilever. The move comes as part of the CMA's wider investigation into greenwashing and follows concerns around how Unilever is marketing certain products, within some brands, to customers as environmentally friendly.[20]

## Research

[edit]

In August 2023, a survey and research done by Kantar's Brand Inclusion Index conducted in UK showed that Dove was considered one of the Most Inclusive Brands for consumers among other skincare brands.[21][22]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ de la Merced, Michael J. (11 June 2020). "Unilever Decides One Headquarters Is Better Than Two". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
2. ^ "Vincent Lamberti '47, '51PhD | Obituaries | Yale Alumni Magazine". yalealumnimagazine.org. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Hill, Michael I.; Post, Albert J. (2007). "Design of the Dove Beauty Bar". In Ng, Ka M.; Gani, Rafiqul; Dam-Johansen, Kim (eds.). Chemical Product Design: Towards a Perspective through Case Studies. Amsterdam: Elsevier. pp. 275–288\. ISBN 9780080466743.
4. ^ Jones, Geoffrey (2005). Renewing Unilever: Transformation and Tradition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 134\. ISBN 9780191556388.
5. ^ a b Jones, Geoffrey (2005). Renewing Unilever: Transformation and Tradition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 135\. ISBN 9780191556388.
6. ^ a b Jones, Geoffrey (2005). Renewing Unilever: Transformation and Tradition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 146\. ISBN 9780191556388.
7. ^ a b c Jones, Geoffrey (2005). Renewing Unilever: Transformation and Tradition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 135\. ISBN 9780191556388.
8. ^ a b c d Barnes, Julian E. (22 July 2001). "The Making (Or Possible Breaking) Of a Megabrand". The New York Times. Sec. 3. p. 1.`{{cite news}}`: CS1 maint: location (link)
9. ^ a b c d e Friedman, Marcel (2016). "Chemistry, Formulation, and Performance of Syndet and Combo Bars". In Spitz, Luis (ed.). Soap Manufacturing Technology (2nd ed.). Amsterdam: Elsevier. pp. 73–106\. ISBN 9781630670665. (At p. 82.)
10. ^ a b c Friedman, Marcel (2016). "Chemistry, Formulation, and Performance of Syndet and Combo Bars". In Spitz, Luis (ed.). Soap Manufacturing Technology (2nd ed.). Amsterdam: Elsevier. pp. 73–106\. ISBN 9781630670665. (At p. 83.)
11. ^ "Original Beauty Bar". Unilever. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
12. ^ "Dove® Men+Care™ Hair Crowns "King of the Castle Home Upgrade" Winner". www.prnewswire.com. 22 November 2013. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
13. ^ Kurtzleben, Danielle. "Do Dove and Axe Sell the Same Message?". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on 27 January 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
14. ^ Taylor, Corina. "Dove's Real Beauty is bogus". Canada.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
15. ^ Slawson, Nicola (8 October 2017). "Dove apologises for ad showing black woman turning into white one". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 October 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
16. ^ Astor, Maggie (8 October 2017). "Dove Drops an Ad Accused of Racism". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
17. ^ Daneshkhu, Scheherazade (9 October 2017). "Unilever pulls Dove ad after complaints of racism". Financial Time. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
18. ^ Nicola Slawson: "Dove apologises for ad showing black woman turning into white one" Archived 9 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine. The Guardian, 8 October 2017;
Maggie Astor: "Dove Drops Ad After It Draws Criticism for Being Racist" Archived 9 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine. The New York Times;
Casey Quackenbush: "Dove Apologizes After Body Wash Ad Is Slammed For Being Racist" . Time;
Jeff Wicks: "Dove extends olive branch over 'racist' ad" Archived 9 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine. The Times. 9 October 2017;
Natasha Bach: "Dove Removes 'Racist' Ad That Seemed to Suggest Black Women Were Dirty" Archived 9 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Fortune;
Daniel Politi: "Dove Apologizes for Ad That Shows Black Woman Turning Into a White Woman" Archived 9 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Slate. 8 October 2017;
Whitney Kimball: "What Was Dove's Thought Process on This Racial Transformation Ad" Archived 10 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Jezebel. 8 October 2017;
Biba Kang: "Dove's apology for its Facebook advert is insulting to people of colour – 'sorry you're offended' really isn't enough" Archived 7 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine. The Independent. 8 October 2017;
"Dove faces PR disaster over ad that showed a black woman turning white" Archived 11 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine. CNBC, 9 October 2017;
Lola Ogunyemi: "I am the woman in the 'racist Dove ad'. I am not a victim" Archived 10 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine. The Guardian, 8 October 2017.
19. ^ "Real beauty, real harm: the ugly truth behind Dove's 'Real Beauty' campaign - Greenpeace UK". GreenPeace UK. 28 November 2023. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
20. ^ "Unilever's 'green' claims come under CMA microscope". UK Competition and Markets Authority. 12 December 2023. Archived from the original on 12 December 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
21. ^ Bureau, Adgully (31 July 2023). "British consumers vote Dove and Nike as most inclusive brands". www.adgully.com. Archived from the original on 4 August 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023. `{{cite web}}`: `|last=` has generic name (help)
22. ^ "Brand Inclusion Index". www.kantar.com. Archived from the original on 4 August 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dove brand products.

Wikinews has related news:

* Dove ad viewed more than 3 million times on YouTube

* Official website
* Greenpeace's campaign page (archived 10 January 2010)

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