To unveil Dove Men+Care—a new line of products for men—the company invited media representatives to the Hockey Hall of Fame Wednesday for a technical briefing and a talk by gender expert Michael Kaufman. "The product is very specifically designed for men, and the conversation we're about to start [with consumers] is focused on Canadian males, so we felt this was a great place to begin," said Sharon MacLeod, brand director for Dove. "Clearly, it's something very different for Dove to be in a space that's very specifically designed for men."
Dove worked with Harbinger Communications Inc. to invite 70 local media representatives. Because many fashion and beauty journalists are women, the company encouraged attendees to bring the man in their life to the event, which began with a technical product briefing, followed by Kaufman's presentation and a preview of the Dove ad set to air during Sunday's SuperBowl.
Stylist Janette Ewen used logoed hockey pucks and jerseys to create product displays with the new body washes and body bars.
As part of the marketing for the line, Dove conducted a survey of 8,000 men between the ages of 30 and 55 in seven countries. MacLeod reported that 80 per cent of Canadian men believe they are falsely portrayed in advertising.
"If you look at advertising today, the images of men tend to be focused on sports heroes, ladies men, and rich and powerful men," MacLeod said. "The men in our lives are much more interesting than that."
