Dove was struggling to break through in the Chinese
market. Chinese women did not quite understand the brand's
philosophy of "Real Beauty". Dove faced the problem of trying
to get Chinese women to accept the brand philosophy, and in so
doing, to accept themselves.
Dove needed the message to be mass, so wanted to stick with TV -
but with the huge TV inflation, TVCs were too expensive an
option. Dove recognised the need for a programme partnership
to convey their message, and set to work looking for a show that
was launching that fitted the brand and would get the required
ratings.
The Chinese version of Ugly Betty fitted the bill
perfectly. To realize the full potential of the sponsored
property, Dove designed a campaign that fully integrated the brand
and Ugly Betty with each other, turning the sponsorship into a
partnership. Dove's "Real Beauty" message was seamlessly
weaved into the show. In an early episode Betty's dad gives
her a Dove doll, which becomes her confidant as struggles to cope
with peer pressure and job success. Dove created a special TVC
starring Betty, which aired during the show's interval. Hard
sponsorship, such as billboards, trailers and branded credits,
followed the soft campaign. Expanding online, Dove launched
Betty's blog - which shared her thought and feelings related to the
show's storylines. The internet campaign ended with a live
online chat with Betty at the end of season one. Dove dolls,
as seen in the show, were offered as promotional items.
Ugly Betty was the top ranked show in its time-brand every
single day of its broadcast. Sales nearly doubled in the month
following Ugly Betty, with brand awareness up 71%.