MADRID, SPAIN — With the continuation of the Real Virtual Beauty, Dove has launched a series of actions supported by partners across the gaming industry, including Epic Games’ Unreal Engine’s education team and Women in Games, to shatter beauty stereotypes and equip the next generation of young creators and players with the tools to build self-esteem and body confidence.
Through a campaign by creative agency LOLA MullenLowe, the brand strives for better representation in gaming. Dove has launched a beautiful and moving short film that depicts the life of a video game character once the game has ended. After defeating an alien, the character goes backstage to her changing room, where she appears uncomfortable with her overly sexualized appearance. However, to our surprise, she removes a body suit and mask that she was wearing, revealing her true and natural self, where she is happier and more comfortable. When the bell rings for her to return to the game, she decides to go back to her real, authentic, and beautiful self.
The film is based on the real story of Cinthia, one of the four protagonists that we turned into free downloadable characters for any developers, who participated in the campaign launch and are a part of the Dove and Getty Images‘ #Showus image bank. The campaign is accompanied by a series of key visuals featuring other avatars inspired by real women from the Dove image bank, showcasing real beauty.
The campaign is inspired by a new research study from Dove, in association with Women in Games, which shows that 60% of girls and 62% of women feel misrepresented in games, with over one-third of young girls’ self-esteem being negatively impacted by a lack of diversity in avatar characters. The film is also supported by the statistic that 74% of women wish for more inclusivity in female video game characters, followed by the brand’s end-line, “Let’s Change Beauty.”
Leandro Barreto, Dove Global Vice President, said, “Dove believes that beauty should be a source of confidence, not anxiety, in every aspect of life, both real and virtual. Although the games industry has made significant strides to become more inclusive, progress needs to be accelerated to challenge the narrow definitions of beauty still visible in the virtual world. Together without partners, we hope to make a real impact on the millions of women and girls who spend their free time playing games.”
Tomas Ostiglia, Executive Creative Director at LOLA MullenLowe, added, “This represented an opportunity for Dove to talk about inclusion and representation in gaming, using animation for the first time ever.”
CREDITS:
Client: DOVE
Global Senior Brand Manager, Dove Masterbrand Unilever: Vincent Jaskowski-Prowse
Global Brand Director, Dove MB Unilever: Pau Bartoli
Global Head of Unilever Entertainment: Kelly Mullen
Global Brand Vice President, Dove MB Unilever: Leandro Barreto
Global Senior PR Manager, Dove MB Unilever: Sarah Potter
Global Senior Influence Manager, Dove MB Unilever: Lynsey Smith
Dove External Communications Beauty & Wellbeing PR and Influence Vice President, Dove MB Unilever: Firdaous ElHonsali
Global Dove, Executive Vice President Unilever: Alessandro Manfredi
Creative Agency: LOLA MullenLowe
Executive Creative Director: Tomás Ostiglia
Managing Director: Tom Elliston
Global Account Director: Bárbara de la Plaza
Head of Planning: Camilla Facin
Planning: Bruno Gomiero, Ana Goyoaga
Creative Directors: Kevin Cabuli, Jorge Zacher, María García Campos
Creative Team: Augusto Callegari, Pedro Mezzini
Designer: Alan Chung
Head of Production: Felipe Calviño
Producers: Marina Saro, Jorge Saade
Agency PR: Enrique Caballero, Gabriella Nuñez
Production Company/Productora: Passion Pictures / Unlisted
Director: againstallodds
Art Director: Sam Klughertz
Executive producer: Juliette Stern / Katie Mackin (Unlisted)
Head of production: Mike Turoff & Juliette Stern
Producer:Xavier Questel
Production Coordinator: Hannah Lawson
MD of CG Studio: Jason Nicholas
Head of CG: Simon Brown
Head of CG Studio Resourcing: Nia James
Head of CG production management: Suz Forward
CG Coordinator: Matthew Jenkerson
CG Production Assistant: Hannah Binney (CG)
CG Supervisor: Howard Bell
Character Design: Againstallodds
Background design: againstallodds
Concept Art: Alex Holman, Dan Lambert & Lina Li
Boardomatic/Animatic: againstallodds & Barry Reynolds
Look Dev/R&D: Howard Bell & Johan Barrios
Head of Animation: Aldo Gagliardi
Previs: Rhiannon Evans, Francisco García & David Sigrist
Layout: Andy Lamb
Modelling (Character): Marco Hakenjos & Mattias Bjurstrom
Modelling (Environment): Florent Rousseau, Idris Honnor, Antonin Deroy & Jakub Gryglicki
Head of Texturing: James Nardelli
Texture and Shading: Clara Obedi, Ben Murray, Florent Rousseau & Jakub Gryglicki
Rigging: Nick Hughes & Melina Mandon
Head of FX: Colin Perrett
Hair Groom: Farido Guzzo (Setup) & Tyler Daniells (Sim)
Animation: Rhiannon Evans, Francisco García, David Sigrist & Rosie Ashforth
SFX & SIM: Darlene Buttner & Jayson King
Lighting and Rendering: Howard Bell, Johan Barrios & Antonin Derory
Head of Compositing: Andre Bittencourt
Compositing: David Lea (Lead), Quentin Camus & Johnny Still
Matte/Background Painting: Jakub Gryglicki
Editing: Joseph Giffard Tutt
2D/UI Animation: Filipe Alcada
Reference Shoot Actress: Jane Perry
Finance team: Vanessa Suri, Famia Khalique, Jessica Chan & Grant Harris
Special Thanks: Pitch Team:
New Business EP/MDs – Belle Palmer & Kitty Turley
New Business Producer – Hannah Lawson & Eve Somerville
Bidding EPs/Producer – Juliette Stern, Anna Cunnington & Xavier Questel
Pitch Designer – Rebecca Gosnell
Art Director – Ronnie Mitchell
Concept Artist – Reuben McNaughton & Artur Sadlos
Head of CG – Simon Brown
Modelling (Character) – Mattias Bjurstom & Marco Hakenjos
Modelling (Environment) – Ian Brown & Florent Rousseau
Texture & Shading – James Nardelli, Clara Obedi & Florent Rousseau
Music Company: Big Sync
Music Supervisors: Alicia Leinot & Alexandra Carlsson Norlin
Composer: Fer Martino
Sound design and mix: Soundgarden
