Last year Dove and Cartoon Network collaborated to create a series of advertisements using Steven Universe characters for the “Dove Self-Esteem Project,” a body positivity campaign that started in 2004. Among the six clips, which can be found on www.stevenuniverseselfesteem.com.ph, one is a music video, titled “We Deserve to Shine.” Here, the Crystal Gems, along with some friends, sing: “We’ll figure it out, there’s plenty of time. For everybody and every mind! And every facet to finally find, that we deserve to shine!”
The idea behind the initiative, according to the Dove web site, is to help young people overcome body image issues and fulfill their potential by building confidence and self-esteem. The Steven Universe series has a collective viewership of 5.4 million and has been continually praised for its themes of inclusion.
In 2013, Dove also partnered with The World Association of Girl Guides, Girl Scouts and Girl Scouts of the Philippines to develop and deliver self-esteem education through the nonformal educational tool “Free Being Me” and the “Uniquely Me” modules developed for 7- to 14-year-olds. The project was able to reach out to millions of young people across 168 countries, including the Philippines, which recently hosted the #ConfidentGirl forum.
“Each brand under the Unilever Beauty and Personal Care category has its own thrust, acting as a compass for all its campaigns and innovations,” said Dorothy Dee-Ching, Unilever Philippines vice president for Personal Care, during a recent beauty summit. “It’s not just about what products we put out, but also why we develop them at all. We want Filipinos to feel they are being cared for by the brands they love.”
She added that the “Beauty That Cares” philosophy is grounded to care for the people, the society and the planet through campaigns that aim to help young people develop their self-esteem at an early age, support a positive change in society by encouraging people to fight for their right to love whom they wish, and by pushing for sustainability in the beauty business.
Meanwhile, Closeup Philippines’s “Free To Love” commercials, which featured the stories of siblings Joey and Angie Mead King, newlywed couple Tim Yap and Javi Martinez Pardo, and longtime partners Beauty Gonzalez and Norman Crisologo, underscore Unilever’s second thrust: acceptance of all relationships, because, as Unilever believes, while getting close to someone you love is a universal instinct, it is not yet a universal right.
In a 2018 study by the brand, “Will Love Always Win, A Close-up on the Freedom to Love,” it states that 53 percent of youths are afraid of discrimination, judgment or public shame, while 47 percent are hiding their relationships for fear of family or peer disapproval. Despite this, three in four youths interviewed had pursued unconventional relationships, yet one in two of those youths kept their unconventional relationships a secret.
It also said that nine in 10 youths wish for a society where people are free to be with the person they are attracted to, but fewer than three in five youths feel they actually have that freedom. “At the heart of everything we do as a company is our consumer,” said Dee-Ching, “Every product and campaign we develop stems from an insight, a desire they’ve expressed and espouses our thrust of Beauty That Cares.”
The Unilever executive also talked up the company’s latest efforts in protecting the environment: The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan.
Part of this initiative was the launch of the company’s first-ever refilling center. To be introduced in three Ayala Malls this summer for its pilot run, the All Things Hair Refillery station is a new way for consumers to get Unilever hair-care brands without the additional packaging waste.
Today’s market, Dee-Ching said, is becoming increasingly sensitive to ethical and environmental issues. She argued that social media can potentially act both as a bullhorn and tallying system needed to show that not only are people demanding positive change for the environment but also encourage more people to live consciously by leaving a lesser and lesser waste footprint.
By going to the Refillery station, consumers can get discounts for their preferred shampoo or conditioner. They just need to bring their own empty bottle, and simply pay for the weight of the product they restock on. In case they don’t have one on hand, they can purchase a 100-percent recyclable bottle from the Refillery for P10.
If consumers have old plastic bottles or sachets they want to dispose of, they can leave them at the refillery station, and Unilever Philippines will take care of upcycling them with its partners, Linis Ganda Recycling Network and Villar SIPAG Foundation.
“This is just the beginning,” Dee-Ching adds. “We hope to be able to roll out the Refillery in more areas in the Philippines, as well as extend it to our other brands.”
Sustainable beauty is also about the end-to-end process—from product manufacturing to marketing. The beauty giant’s new vegan and ethical brand, Love Beauty and Planet, addresses this new consumer needs with a special focus on millennials.
Two new collections under the brand were introduced during the summit: the Coconut Oil and Ylang-Ylang collection, and the Coconut Water and Mimosa Flower collection. Love Beauty and Planet is certified vegan and cruelty-free, with zero silicones, dyes, parabens or colorants. The brand also infuses fast-rinse technology into their conditioners, which means that it will break down and wash off faster, leading consumers to use less water in the shower. Each bottle is made with 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic and is 100 percent recyclable, too.