Some 91% of Canadian women believe it's time society thought of aging in a positive way. Dove agrees, and in support of its Pro-Age products, spearheaded a campaign to change societal views on aging by promoting the belief that beauty has no age limit. Dove commissioned an award winning playwright to create a one-of-a-kind live play, "Body & Soul", using a cast of real women aged between 45 and 78.
The media strategy was based on partnering with a limited number of media suppliers to foster a meaningful relationship with the audience, maintain their attention through the narrative and allow them to participate in the program. Dove chose Transcontinental Media (Canada's leading publisher of women's magazines) as the print and online partner, and CBS Television as the broadcast support. To find cast members for the play, women were invited to write an audition letter, Dove and Transcontinental worked closely together to create customized magazine and online content which built emotional credibility for the campaign, and encouraged women to audition. Advertorials, letters from the editor, e-blasts, web forums and brand ads were used to drive submissions. To promote the theatrical run of the play, the partnership with Transcontinental resulted in an eight page article featuring interviews with the cast and playwright, letters from the editor, web features, a chat session with cast members, a contest to win tickets to see the play, and a cast picture on the cover of Canada's top ranked women's magazine.
As a result, Body and Soul played to sell out crowds, winning rave reviews. CBS was the platform for the documentary, "Finding Body and Soul." The campaign delivered 124 million media impressions, with 55,000 unique visitors to the website.