Dove continues to challenge societal norms. In the Philippines, it is encouraging Filipino women to be fearless through its new campaign, Raise Your Arms, by Ogilvy Singapore.
The initiative intends to combat underarm shaming, while also using underarms as a metaphor to elevate women’s confidence in the Philippines. The campaign celebrates the courage of women who have raised their arms for change, impacting their communities and the broader society.
The concept behind Raise Your Arms stems from the recognition of underarm shaming as a persistent issue that diminishes women’s self-esteem and confidence. 8 in 10 Filipino women won’t raise their arms because of underarm insecurity. To empower them and help them feel better about their underarms, Dove, a longstanding advocate for real beauty and body positivity, wants to remind them of a simple yet powerful truth, Every time women raise their arms, positive change happens.
Bianca Cancellara, global vice president for Dove Deodorant, stated, “We firmly believe that every woman deserves to exude confidence and empowerment in her own skin. Our campaign transcends societal norms, empowering women to #FreeThePits and refuse to let underarm anxiety hinder their potential.”
The campaign covers OOH and digital. Using the hashtag, #freethepits, Dove encourages women of all ages in the Philippines to join the movement and share their own moments of bravery and confidence, inviting women to be ‘kili-kili proud,’ celebrating their underarms as a symbol of their strength and resilience.
Ria Ocampo, creative director at Ogilvy Singapore, stated, “In the Philippines, there’s an intense pressure to have perfect underarms. People might even be ridiculed for not conforming to this unrealistic beauty standard. This was shocking to me when I explained it to people from other countries – it shows how deeply ingrained this toxic norm is in our culture. This campaign is a call to action for Filipinas. Let’s raise our arms high and reject the cultural stigma.”
Credits:
Agency: Ogilvy Singapore
Chief Creative Officers: Nicolas Courant, Marco Versolato
Creative Directors: Sudhir Pasumarty, Troy Lim, Stephan Schwarz Associate
Creative Director, Art: Ria Ocampo
Worldwide Managing Director: David Dahan
Asia Managing Director, Unilever: Aanchal Sethi
Business Director: Pritika Gupta
Account Director: Vinx Zhang
Head of Production: Gerri Hamill
Producers: Gerri Hamill, Kev Ngyuyen, Caroline Ong
Executive Strategy Director: Sumegha Rao
Strategy Director: Anam Hakeem
PR, Social & Influence: Ogilvy Philippines
Production: Sauce
Director: Xavier Mairesse
Photography: Artu Nepomoceno, Francisco Javier Ramos Rosellon
Editor: Koon Client
Client: Unilever (Dove)
Global Vice President, Dove, Deodorants: Bianca Cancellera
Philippines Business Lead for Personal Care: Anne Esteves
Deodorants Philippines Business Manager: Bea Joson
Brand Manager, Premium Deodorants: Pat Gan
