IT'S A 'HARD KNOCK LIFE' FOR GIRLS IN SPORTS - NEW GAME DAY AD FROM DOVE AIMS TO KEEP GIRLS IN THE GAME WITH BODY CONFIDENT SPORT PROGRAM AFTER FINDING 45% OF GIRLS DROP OUT DUE TO LOW BODY CONFIDENCE

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Feb 02, 2024, 08:00 ET

Dove teams up with all-star roster including Kylie Kelce, Steve Young and Venus Williams to #KeepHerConfident in support of new Game Day ad and Body Confident Sport program

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Feb. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- New Game Day commercial from beauty brand Dove shows it's not the knocks that stop girls from playing sports, it's low body confidence. The new ad marks the first time since 2006 that the brand will make an appearance during football's biggest night, with an important message about boosting self-esteem in young athletes. The 30-second ad - broadcasting in the first quarter of the Big Game - provides a new twist on the Broadway classic, 'It's the Hard Knock Life,' illuminating the pervasive issue of low body confidence among young girls, which stops them from playing the sports they love.

Dove’s 30-Second Big Game Spot, Hard Knocks

Low Body Confidence is Why 45% of Girls Quit Sport

"From our research, we know that body confidence is the #1 reason girls are dropping out of sports," said Greg Ross, Chief Operating Officer, Unilever North America Personal Care. "As a champion of self-esteem for girls, Dove is committed to providing tools and resources like Body Confident Sport to help them stay confident in the activities that are important to them. We are thrilled to be back at the Big Game to continue our mission of making sports a place where all girls can thrive and feel like they belong."

Earlier this week, Kylie Kelce announced her partnership with Dove to drive awareness for the Body Confident Sport program - a first-of-its-kind and scientifically-proven set of free tools for coaches co-developed by Dove and Nike to build body confidence in 11-17-year-old girls.

In support of the Body Confident Sport campaign, Dove is also partnering with Pro Footballer Steve Young and his two daughters Summer & Laila Young, as well as Tennis Champion & Entrepreneur Venus Williams, who will also lend their voices and experiences to inspire confidence in girls. Venus recently teamed up with Dove for the launch of the Body Confident Sport program in October.

Steve and Venus will take the field during the Dove "45 Yard Line" flag football game for change in Las Vegas prior to the Big Game. The two sports champions will guide teams of high school girls through a flag football game while putting lessons from the Body Confident Sport program into practice.

"As a proud father to two girls who are flag football athletes, I can't wait to take the field alongside them to share our passion for the sport," commented Young. "Coaching has allowed me to see first hand the meaningful impact sports can have on young people. I'm honored to work alongside Dove to further their mission of empowering girls and making sports a place where all girls feel confident."

"Coaches play such an important role in building the self-belief of young athletes, and I'm grateful for the impact mine have had on me," said Williams. "I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to pay it forward along with Dove at the '45 Yard Line' flag football game to help boost self-confidence in young girls and help reduce the 45% of girls who drop out because every body is worthy of greatness."

The Body Confident Sport program aims to reach one million young people annually, and is one of many resources from the Dove Self-Esteem Project. The Dove Self-Esteem Project is the largest self-esteem education provider in the world, offering no-cost, academically validated tools to parents, teachers, mentors and kids for two decades. To date, Dove has reached more than 100 million young people globally across 150 countries, with a goal of reaching 250M young lives by 2030.

Learn how to help #KeepHerConfident in sports at Dove.com/confidentsports or on social @Dove.

Contact:
Samantha Colton
[email protected]

About the Research
Dove and Nike have commissioned this survey to expose the reality of girls' experience in sports and the impact it has on their confidence, as well as the drivers behind girls dropping out and potential solutions.

We asked 4,917 children of different ages, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds in Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and US to take part in a 15-minute online survey.

The study included 3,506 girls aged between 9-17 years old (approximately 500 from each country) and 1,391 boys aged 9-17 years old (approximately 200 from each country) who had the consent of a parent or legal guardian to take part.

About the Dove Self-Esteem Project
Dove is the largest self-esteem education provider in the world, offering no-cost, academically validated tools to parents, teachers, mentors, and kids for nearly two decades with the Dove Self-Esteem Project. To date, Dove has reached more than 100 million young people globally across 150 countries with DSEP, with a goal of reaching 250M young lives by 2030.

About Dove
Dove started its life in 1957 in the US, with the launch of the Beauty Bar, with its patented blend of mild cleansers and ¼ moisturizing cream. Dove's heritage is based on moisturization, and it is proof not promises that enabled Dove to grow from a Beauty Bar into one of the world's most beloved beauty brands. Women have always been our inspiration and since the beginning, we have been wholly committed to providing superior care to all women and to championing real beauty in our advertising. Dove believes that beauty is for everyone. That beauty should be a source of happiness and not anxiety. Dove's mission is to inspire women everywhere to develop a positive relationship with the way they look and realize their personal potential for beauty.

For more than 65 years, Dove has been committed to broadening the narrow definition of beauty in the work they do. With the 'Dove Real Beauty Pledge,' Dove vows to:

Portray women with honesty, diversity and respect. We feature women of different ages, sizes, ethnicities, hair color, type, and style.
Portray women as they are in real life, with zero digital distortion and all images approved by the women they feature.
Help young people build body confidence and self-esteem through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the biggest provider of self-esteem education in the world.

SOURCE Dove