Dive Brief:
- Dove is putting consumers’ unfiltered opinions of the brand’s Intensive Repair 10-in-1 Serum Mask on display in a new Reddit-inspired campaign, according to a press release.
- “Dove r/eal reviews” utilizes the first 50 Reddit reviews of the mask, regardless of opinion. Reviews included in the campaign were unaltered and used with the express permission of the original poster, whose identities were kept anonymous.
- The campaign reflects the brand’s “Real Beauty” platform values and will run across film, out of home, streaming, digital, social and other channels. In certain placements, unaltered reviews will appear in real-time in an effort to spark open dialogue among consumers.
Dive Insight:
Dove, a Unilever brand, is embracing the values inherent in its long-running “Real Beauty” brand platform by highlighting real product reviews, even the negative ones, in a new campaign. “R/eal reviews” leverages Reddit’s growing beauty community and the platform’s reputation for honest product takes to appeal to authenticity-minded consumers.
Reddit’s beauty community has been growing in recent years, with views of beauty content up 30% year over year, according to Paulita David, head of U.S. large customer sales at Reddit, in a statement. The platform, which has over 100,000 communities and 116 million active users, has become a source of advice for consumers seeking honest opinions.
Dove didn’t just use Reddit as a source for the reviews. The platform’s identity is seeped into all aspects of the campaign. From the use of avatars based on Reddit brand mascot Snoo to keep user identity anonymous, to the formatting of the ads themselves, it is clear the reviews for the hair mask were found on the platform. Even the campaign’s name, “r/eal reviews” follows Reddit naming conventions. Reddit pages, known as subreddits, all begin with r/, which Dove incorporates into its messaging as wordplay.
The effort isn’t completely contained to the online world. The campaign kicked off with a pop-up event at New York City's Flatiron Plaza, which took place Feb. 5-6 and included displays of real Reddit posts, free products and other prizes and activities.
Reddit’s reputation as a vehicle for product discovery has caught the attention of advertisers. The platform has rolled out a range of new advertising options in recent months and the effort seems to be paying off. Reddit’s 2025 revenue hit $2.2 billion, a 69% percent increase from the year prior.
However, the platform isn’t without its issues. Reddit has been facing increased backlash from users over the flood of AI-generated content taking over the platform. Additionally, many brands avoid the platform due to safety concerns, as Reddit’s users can quickly turn on brands using the platform for promotional purposes. The interactive nature of the platform means brands can lose control over the conversation quickly.
Dove’s decision to feature Reddit posts in advertising, rather than posting on the platform directly, is a strategic one. It allows the brand to take advantage of Reddit’s reputation without running the risk of user backlash on the site itself.
Unilever saw its personal care underlying sales increase by 4.1% in the third quarter of 2025, according to an earnings transcript. Dove’s success in North America was cited as a major contributor to the growth.
