Dove has been betting on real beauty for years, on authentic representation in its communication and advertising initiatives. This defense of transparency is also now reflected in its new campaign, with which it celebrates and amplifies the voices of consumers through their opinions and comments on Reddit. Even if those comments include negative reviews of your products.
The brand has developed “r/eal reviews” together with the platform to promote its Intensive Repair 10-in-1 Serum Mask hair mask, which it praises as the most awarded of 2025 according to the main beauty and cosmetic publications. To do this, it gives visibility to the reviews that consumers have made of your product, without filtering or adulterating them. “No script. No filters. Because what is real matters”Dove notes on its website.
To do this, the Unilever brand has asked Reddit users to share their exact opinion regarding their mask, to be honest and not hold anything back. As he explains, he contacted those who commented. “Some left us unnoticed, and others even thought it was a scam. But the first 50 who responded and said we could use their reviews? Your reviews. That is our campaign. No edits”, he explains.
By making real opinions visible, the brand reinforces its confidence in the effectiveness of its product, while continuing to position itself around transparency and the concept of “real beauty.” “Real beauty involves real experiences, and that includes listening to what people really think” said Emily Barfoot, Dove North America Director for Hair and Skin, in a statement. “Celebrating one of the things that makes Reddit so special, we seek to create a space for honest conversations and amplify spontaneous voices, sharing not just positive reviews, but everything. We are so confident in our products that we were willing to take a risk“.
As part of the campaign, Dove has created a video piece in which users read their opinions. However, their identity appears under their own Redditt avatars, that is, the digital identities they use on the platform, to ensure that they continue to feel comfortable sharing their real reviews. In addition, he has published in full the fifty comments that are part of the initiative, and has also created graphic pieces with them that he has displayed as billboards in the streets of New York.
The choice of Reddit as a partner for this strategy is not trivial. According to what they share from the platform, beauty-related content is growing 30% year-on-year. “That’s because Reddit communities are where people find real, unfiltered reviews of products they’re interested in.”argues Paulita David, Director of Sales to Large Customers at Reddit in the United States.
Additionally, Dove has activated an immersive installation as part of a pop-up in-person experience, which took place on February 5 and 6 in New York. It featured real Reddit comments on large screens, asked passersby for their opinions on the mask, and invited participants to participate in activities to earn product samples and access additional prizes.
Dove claims that with the campaign it transforms the online conversation into a tangible and visible experience, and that it challenges the conventions of the beauty industry in terms of communication. Transparency has become a territory of positioning, and brands like The Ordinary have defended it to promote a transformation in the discourses of the sector.
