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Dove Celebrates Body Confidence in Sports

Dove is making waves in 2026 as it prepares to air its uplifting new advertisement titled "The Game Is Ours" during the Super Bowl. This initiative aims to highlight the joy and resilience of girls involved in sports, aiming to shift the focus away from how they look to what their bodies can achieve. Through this campaign, Dove not only celebrates female athletes but also seeks to combat the pressures that lead many girls to abandon physical activity due to body criticism.

In a bold marketing move, Dove collaborates with Ogilvy to bring this empowering message to life. The commercial features over 90 young athletes participating in various sports, including swimming, track and field, American football, and mixed martial arts. Their synchronized movements and collective choreography embody an unstoppable force of confidence, celebrating the notion that girls can excel in sports while embracing their individuality.

Research conducted by Dove reveals a concerning trend: one in two girls who drop out of sports attributes their decision to body-related criticism. This finding underlines a vital aspect of the Dove Body Confident Sport program, a groundbreaking initiative launched in 2023 designed to help youth aged 11-17 foster body confidence and a sense of belonging in athletic environments.

With the upcoming ad, Dove's message is clear: every girl deserves the space and support to thrive, not just be critiqued based on appearance. "Girls are leaving sports at alarming rates due to body confidence pressures. Now more than ever, they deserve environments and support systems that celebrate who they are and what they can do - not what they look like," states Marcela Melero, Chief Growth Officer for Dove Personal Care. This philosophy resonates deeply across various sections of the community, encouraging ongoing dialogue about women's representation and support in the world of sports.

The ad captures the authentic sounds of these young athletes; their joyful screams and determined breaths create a soundtrack that drowns out negative self-talk. The campaign’s message is more than a fleeting moment; it embodies a long-term commitment of Dove to reinforce that self-love and confidence are more critical than societal standards.

Adding weight to this initiative, Dove is expanding its Body Confident Collective, comprised of prominent female sports figures who understand the paramount importance of body confidence. This diverse group includes soccer stars like Alyssa Thompson and Mia Hamm, equality advocate Billie Jean King, among others—a unified front working towards building and protecting the self-esteem and body confidence of girls in sport.

The timing of this ad is pivotal, as the Super Bowl not only garners millions of viewers but also represents a cultural moment where messages around empowerment and affirmation can reach a diverse audience. Dove aims to seize this moment to reinforce its message about body positivity and self-esteem in athletic spaces.

As part of Dove’s larger mission, this campaign is complemented by the Dove Self-Esteem Project, which has, to date, educated over 137 million young people worldwide about the importance of body positivity. With a goal of reaching 250 million by 2030, Dove remains committed to empowering the next generation.

In conclusion, Dove's "The Game Is Ours" ad stands as a powerful reminder that the joy of participating in sports should take precedence over superficial evaluations. By celebrating body confidence and resilience, Dove challenges societal expectations and aims to cultivate an encouraging atmosphere for young girls engaging in sports. As viewers tune into the Big Game on February 8th, they can anticipate not just an advertisement but a rallying cry for support and self-acceptance among young athletes everywhere.