There are aromas that are immediately identified with a brand and that, over the years, end up being part of many people’s memories. This is the case of the characteristic fragrance of Dove Beauty Bar, the cleansing tablet that the brand launched in the United States in 1957 and whose smell has accompanied the personal care rituals of several generations. Now, almost seven decades later, Dove has decided to transfer that scent to a new product category.
The Unilever brand has presented Dove Original Fragrance, its first perfume, which will be available from October 27 in the United States through a limited launch linked to its social channels. The initiative responds to a request that, according to the company, its consumers have been making for years through comments, publications, private messages and conversations on platforms such as Reddit: to be able to use the recognizable aroma of the Dove Original pill as a perfume.
The initiative has been developed under the premise “You asked for it. We listened to you.” With it, Dove vindicates the role of its community in the origin of the project and presents the perfume as a direct response to the demand expressed for years.
Marcela Melero, Chief Growth Marketing Officer of Dove, explained on social networks that the idea arose from the conversations that consumers had spontaneously about the brand: “For years, Dove lovers have asked us to bottle the unmistakable aroma of the Original Beauty Bar bar, a fragrance that has accompanied different generations.”he pointed out. “For me, it’s the smell of my mother’s bathroom when I was little, and even the smell of my wedding morning.”
“Our team interpreted it as an invitation to create something new”
According to Melero, the team identified in those conversations an opportunity to develop something new, instead of limiting itself to positively valuing displays of affection for the product. “It all started in our community’s comments, posts, private messages, and Reddit threads. Instead of just appreciating the love for Beauty Bar, our team took it as an invitation to create something new. That’s what it means to really listen to your community.”he explained.
A perfume that recovers the visual and olfactory codes of Dove
The proposal seeks to maintain a recognizable relationship with the original product, both in its olfactory composition and in its presentation.
The fragrance has been developed together with Ann Gottlieb, a perfumery specialist, with the aim of reproducing the characteristic aroma of Dove Beauty Bar in a perfume with soft, clean and familiar notes.
The design of the packaging also establishes a direct connection with the product that inspires it. The glass bottle reproduces the silhouette of the Dove pill and is crowned by a gold cap in the shape of a dove that visually identifies the brand.
The historical reference even extends to the price. Dove Original Fragrance will be sold for $19.57, a figure that dates back to 1957, the year the original pill was launched in the United States.
The product will be available through a limited edition and a specific launch through social channels, a strategy that reinforces its character as an initiative aimed at the community that has promoted its creation.
Dove’s original Instagram post
Lucy Howdle, Marketing Manager at Unilever and involved in the project, highlighted that each element of the launch has been conceived as a tribute to Dove Beauty Bar, from the design of the bottle to the formulation of the fragrance.
He has also highlighted the value of the consumer response, which he considers one of the most significant aspects of the initiative.
Nostalgia as an opportunity for innovation and brand building
Beyond its entry into perfumery, the launch highlights the commercial potential of the assets that a brand has built over time.
In the case of Dove, the scent of its original product has taken on a meaning that transcends its function as a formulation element. Its continued presence in homes for decades has helped establish associations with certain moments, people and experiences.
The company is now taking advantage of that recognition to develop a proposal that combines nostalgia, innovation and consumer participation. Unlike other brand extensions, in which a company attempts to move its awareness to a different category, Dove builds on a demand that already existed and uses one of its most recognizable attributes to respond to it.
“When people already have a strong emotional connection with a brand, our job is to find new ways for them to experience it”Melero pointed out.
In this sense, Dove Original Fragrance proposes a way to capitalize on the brand’s sensory heritage without separating it from its most emblematic product. With this, Dove puts into practice an idea that is increasingly relevant to brand management: listening to communities as a source of information about satisfaction or preferences, but also as a source of opportunities to develop new products.
