Ogilvy UK and Dove: The Partnership That Rewrote the Rules of Beauty

This year’s Cannes Lions reminded us that Dove’s 'Campaign For Real Beauty', created by Ogilvy UK, isn’t just enduring — it’s still leading. With two Grand Prix in the bag, the campaign tells the story of a brand that didn’t just challenge cultural norms — it continues to reshape them.

Ogilvy UK won the coveted Glass: The Lion for Change - a celebration of the creative work tackling taboos and championing a better future for everyone. The agency also won the Grand Prix in the Creative Strategy category for its work on 'Real Beauty'.

For over two decades, Unilever-owned Dove has placed emotional truth above marketing gloss. It has spoken to the moment without ever chasing it. It has turned a soap brand into a movement. The two Grand Prix wins for Ogilvy UK are a testament to the clarity of thought and purpose that’s driven the brand since 2004 — when research revealed that only 2 per cent of women considered themselves beautiful. From that insight came the now-iconic 'Campaign for Real Beauty', and a body of work that has remained astonishingly consistent in tone, purpose, and impact.

James Murphy, UK Group CEO said: “Two decades ago, Ogilvy and Dove went on a mission to challenge the standards of the beauty industry. The results have seen Dove evolve from a personal care brand to an authority in self-esteem, helping many to find confidence in themselves. Taking home the Cannes Lions Grand Prix is recognition of such brilliant and game-changing creativity from so many people.”

There is something profoundly moving about the way Dove continues to challenge the beauty industry’s toxic norms — not with stunts or slogans, but with long-term investment, cultural sensitivity, and deeply human storytelling.

Much has been written about the Dove and Ogilvy partnership — and rightly so. It’s one of those rare examples of what happens when a brand and its agency operate with shared values and a long view. The trust between them has allowed for creativity that doesn’t flinch from hard truths - delivering work that is often devastatingly powerful. Because the best Dove work is never about Dove. It’s about girls. Mothers. Teenagers. Women of every background, age, and shape. And always rooted in insight, research, and respect.

Meanwhile, Edelman won a bronze in Glass Lions for Dove 'Love Your Hair' campaign - a long-term brand strategy for Dove Hair that focuses on hair as a vital part of identity and self-esteem, and takes action to tackle hair-based discrimination, wherever it's found.

Other campaigns such as 'Evolution', 'Real Beauty Sketches', 'Courage Is Beautiful', 'As Early As Five', 'Reverse Selfie' and 'Cost of Beauty' haven’t just sparked conversation — they’ve created measurable, systemic change. The Dove self-esteem education programme has reached over 100 million young people across 150 countries.

The 67-year relationship between Dove and Ogilvy has been built on a shared vision to make beauty a source of confidence not anxiety for women and girls everywhere. This vision, and the work behind it, has kept Dove at the forefront of culture, tackling the enemies of self-esteem and building confidence.

What's more it has transformed Dove’s brand value from $1bn at the launch of 'Campaign for Real Beauty' to over $7bn today; turning a humble beauty bar into a superbrand that exists in 76 categories across beauty and personal care building self-esteem and transforming beauty for generations.

The collaboration between Dove and Ogilvy has produced some of the most awarded campaigns of the last decade. It is testament to the nature of the partnership that exists between the two - a partnership that others would probably love the chance to emulate.

Dove’s story is a masterclass in how purpose can be more than a PowerPoint slide. How long-term platforms beat short-term posturing. And how creativity, when done with care and integrity, can genuinely move culture forward.