Dive Brief:
- Unilever brand Dove Men+Care launched #HolidayShear on Dec. 8 to give free washes and haircuts to men and their children, according to a press release. The brand partnered with Bishops Cuts/Color, a national, mostly minority-owned chain with more than 20 locations offering affordable haircuts.
- Dove Men+Care also created activity cards to encourage bonding as the men and kids wait for their haircuts. The activities encouraged drawing, playing and conversation with games like tic-tac-toe, connect the dots, "Draw Dad's Do" and "What's the Buzz?" The events also featured photo opportunities.
- The campaign is part of Unilever's Sustainable Living Plan, which includes a commitment to helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020.
Dive Insight:
#HolidayShear is a continuation of Dove Men+Care's commitment to supporting men as they care for their families and communities and focusing on modern portrayals of fathers as involved caregivers in its brand marketing. The campaign also aims to help create opportunities for men to spend quality time with their kids around the holiday season. The experiential marketing campaign, with family games and photo opportunities, helps Dove Men+Care spread its brand message while building awareness, as participants were also educated on the benefits of the Dove Men+Care hair care products.
The event could resonate with younger dads, who are typically engaged with their families and shun outdated gender stereotypes that depict fathers as hapless parents. Among millennial fathers, 74% think advertisers and marketers are out of touch with modern family dynamics, a Saatchi & Saatchi NY survey revealed. Eighty-five percent of dads say they know more than people give them credit for.
Consumers increasingly expect brands to break gender stereotypes, and more marketers are attempting to redefine masculinity and incorporate more realistic, positive depictions of men in their marketing. Unilever has worked to set an example for other brands to follow through its Unstereotype initiative, which aims to eliminate outdated stereotypes in marketing.
Dove Men+Care's #HolidayShear follows the brand's Father's Day push, which attempted to raise awareness about paid paternity leave and offered a content hub with resources for new dads. The campaign included a short film, "Dear Future Dad," featuring a diverse group of dads sharing advice and stories about the importance of taking time to care for their children. The brand also contributed to 27 crowdfunding campaigns to support family leave requests for dads and families.
