Dove takes on most loathed word in English language - 'Moist'

Personal care brand Dove celebrated the launch of its newest moisturising body wash, "Deep moisture body wash", with the brand's first comedic TV ad. The 30-second ad, created by American production company Maximum Effort, takes on one of the most loathed words in the English language, "moist", with a hilarious twist.

The ad, titled "Moist humour", takes a satirical approach to a focus group scenario, featuring four women who are initially enthusiastic about the new body wash, but gradually unravel as they're introduced to the cringeworthy "moist" focused marketing campaign. 

The ad also featured an over-the-top mascot named "Mrs. Moist" and a jingle that takes the word "moist" way too far. "Bet you never knew we had a dry sense of humour," Dove said in the ad's caption. 

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Following its NBC premiere during "SNL50: The anniversary special", the new "moist-focused" ad can be viewed on Dove's social channels.

Kathryn Fernandez, head of Dove purpose and engagement, Unilever North America, said, "We're so excited to debut our first comedic ad with this new spot that celebrates moisture during such an iconic moment in television. While the word 'moist' might be polarising, we can all agree that we love moisture, and with Dove body wash, moisturisation and hydration doesn't stop in the shower, it keeps working all day long,"

"Our latest innovation and patented 'Renewing micromoisture' is a game-changer, delivering 24 hour lotion soft skin, straight from your shower, and we are thrilled to re-introduce it to the SNL50 audience in a way that is fresh and new for Dove," she added. 

The personal care brand has unveiled several empowering campaigns in recent times, however, its "moist-centric" campaign is Dove's first venture into the comedic field. In January this year, the brand launched a campaign to encourage women around the world to ditch unrealistic beauty standards when setting New Year's resolutions. 

Titled #NewYearsUnresolution, participants were invited to write a resolution on a sticky note and tear it up, or use a digital sticky note on TikTok to share their pledge with their community. Dove also released a short film on YouTube to highlight the campaign. It aimed to show women around the world that they too can celebrate the joys of life without fixating on unrealistic beauty ideals. In addition, the brand launched "The Dove Self-Esteem Project for Women", an online learning experience designed to help women reflect, reset, and take control of how they engage with the idea of beauty. 

Prior to that, Dove launched its "Raise your arms" initiative in April last year, with an aim to combat underarm shaming and elevate women's confidence in the Philippines. The campaign celebrated the courage of women who have raised their arms for change, impacting their communities and the broader society. Using the hashtag #freethepits, Dove encouraged women of all ages in the Philippines to join the movement and share their own moments of bravery and confidence. 

In February 2023, the brand teamed up with LinkedIn to support the passing of The CROWN Act, end hair bias and hair discrimination, and provide free courses that support a more equitable work environment. The CROWN Act, which stands for creating a respectful and open world for natural hair, is a law that prohibits racial discrimination based on natural textures and protective hairstyles including braids, locs, twists, and bantu knots.

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