Dove celebrates courage by empowering Filipino women to #FreeThePits

Dove is combatting underarm shaming and elevating women's confidence in the Philippines with its new "Raise your arms" initiative. 

The campaign celebrates the courage of women who have raised their arms for change, impacting their communities and the broader society. It will be executed across multiple channels including outdoor posters and a digital presence on social media platforms.

Using the hashtag #freethepits, Dove encourages women of all ages in the Philippines to join the movement and share their own moments of bravery and confidence. 

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In tandem, the campaign invites women to be 'kili-kili proud' (armpit proud) celebrating their underarm as a symbol of their strength and resilience. 

"We firmly believe that every woman deserves to exude confidence and empowerment in her own skin. Our campaign transcends societal norms, empowering women to #FreeThePits and refuse to let underarm anxiety hinder their potential," said Bianca Cancellara, global vice president for Dove deodorant.

The concept behind "Raise your arms" stems from the recognition of underarm shaming as a persistent issue that diminishes women's self-esteem and confidence. To empower them and help them feel better, Dove wants to remind them of a simple yet powerful truth - every time women raise their arms, positive change happens. 

"Raise your arms" was created with Ogilvy Singapore and differentiates itself by directly addressing a specific and longstanding cultural stigma, offering a platform for empowerment and change.

By focusing on such a unique aspect of body positivity, the brand is fostering a more inclusive environment where women can feel proud of every part of themselves, said Dove in a statement. 

“In the Philippines, there's an intense pressure to have perfect underarms. People might even be ridiculed for not conforming to this unrealistic beauty standard. This was shocking to me when I explained it to people from other countries – it shows how deeply ingrained this toxic norm is in our culture," said Ria Ocampo, a creative from Ogilvy.

"This campaign is a call to action for Filipinas. Let's raise our arms high and reject the cultural stigma," added Ocampo. 

This is just one of Dove's campaigns in recent months. Earlier in April, the brand celebrated 20 years of championing real beauty by making a commitment to never use AI to create or distort women's images. 

The campaign, known as "The code", looks at the impact of AI on beauty, while celebrating the lasting legacy Dove has built. The two-minute film reflects on the impact of AI-generated images related to beauty and the brand promises it will never use AI to distort women's images. 

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