Share The First

Client: Dove/Unilever

For 20+ years, Dove has championed authentic beauty through its Self-Esteem Project and Real Beauty campaigns. In today's digital landscape, a new challenge emerged: the perfection paradox. Research revealed 9 in 10 women take up to 50 photos before selecting one to post, 60% avoid sharing special moments because they don't like how they look.

#ShareTheFirst challenged this behaviour by inviting women to liberate themselves from digital perfection by sharing their real, unposed, unedited first photos—celebrating the authentic beauty that's typically discarded in favour of curated perfection. The creative challenge was twofold: first, address a universal behaviour that had become so normalized it was the subject of comedy sketches despite its harmful impact on self-esteem; second, to create a movement that felt empowering rather than preachy, while distinguishing Dove from emerging beauty brands encroaching on our purpose equity. We tackled this by creating a powerful participation mechanic. Starting with cultural icon Bebe Rexha, who modelled vulnerability by sharing her own unedited first photos, we expanded globally through creators spanning different body types, ethnicities, and platforms to demonstrate that perfection pressure is universal. The campaign generated 1B+ impressions across 14 countries and inspired significant behaviour change, with post-campaign research showing increased percentages of women planning to take fewer retakes and feeling inspired to present themselves more honestly online. Brand metrics showed increases in preference, consideration, and association with authentic beauty, reinforcing Dove's position as a leader in addressing digital beauty pressure and strengthening its 20+ year commitment to real beauty representation.