Targeting the Skin He’s In

Packaging for Dove Men+Care features masculine colors and ergonomic shapes

Written by: Steve Katz, Associate Editor

Dove, by Unilever, has been one the beauty industry’s most enduring and iconic brands for many years. Since its inception in 1957, when the first Dove bar of soap hit the shelves, the brand has marketed itself as a skin care solution for its users of all shapes and sizes. However, until now, it has mainly focused on one gender—the female. Recently, Dove has branched out, launching a new line of products designed specifically for men, called Dove Men+Care. After extensive research and development, the new line features a variety of products and tools, based on patented technologies, and also a marketing and packaging approach streamlined for today’s man.

Dove Men+Care officially premiered during the close of 2009, and the results have been so far so good, according to Kathy O’Brien, vice president, Unilever Skin. She says, “The line launched in December, and we are excited how the products have performed so far, as initial results are showing early success and exceeding our target expectations.”

O’Brien notes that the products’ target demographic is the man who has reached a level of self-awareness in his life, marked by a healthy sense of comfort in who he is—but might be feeling some discomfort with his skin. “We discovered that even though men reach a point in their lives when they become comfortable with themselves, they don’t necessarily have comfortable skin to match. We know that men’s No. 1 skin complaint is dry skin, and even heard from many of them that they think it’s from their socks when it’s actually harsh cleansers that cause their skin to lose moisture.

“We leveraged the Dove brand cleansing and moisturizing heritage to create new Dove Men+Care, which is clinically proven to fight skin dryness with no irritation or tightness. It’s the brand’s first-ever product line designed specifically for men’s needs, and it provides the cleansing and refreshment we know men want, combined with Dove moisturizers to literally provide total skin comfort,” O’Brien says.

The Dove Men+Care Active Clean Shower Tool

Within the Dove Men+Care product line is a body and face wash that’s based on the brand’s patented Micromoisture technology. Here’s how it works: Droplets of moisture are suspended in the clear gel and activate on the skin during the lathering phase. The micro-droplets are precisely sized to efficiently deposit Micromoisture on the skin’s surface, without feeling heavy or greasy. “And it’s easy to rinse off,” adds O’Brien, as the “formula delivers a refreshing clean that Dove knows men want—without leaving skin dry or uncomfortable.”

Another new product that Unilever is excited about is the Dove Men+Care Active Clean Shower Tool, designed to enhance a man’s bathing experience. “Designed with two surfaces, the Shower Tool has a mesh side to provide thick, cleansing lather and a scrub side for deep cleaning. The Shower Tool design is also easy to grip and fits a man’s hand without slipping,” explains O’Brien.

As with all Dove beauty bars, the Dove Men+Care body and face bar contains ¼-moisturizing cream. However, these bars differentiate themselves by being ergonomically redesigned to ensure it fits comfortably in a man’s hand.

While the products themselves have been designed with the man in mind, so too has the packaging. The Dove Men+Care packaging, put together by international design agency Raison Pure, features dark colors like blue and grey, which appeal to men, as evidenced by Unilever’s consumer research. “Also,” O’Brien says, “the colors fit with the Dove brand consumers know.”

But when designing a product line specifically for men, it’s more than just the colors that make a difference. The body and face wash bottles have sharp edges and smooth lines for a distinctive, masculine identity, and, like the beauty bar, have been ergonomically designed to fit comfortably in a man’s hand.

O’Brien emphasizes that the concept, research and development of the Dove Men+Care is an extension of Unilever’s underlying philosophy. “At Unilever, the foundation of our success is built on consumer insight and world class innovation. We understand consumer needs and develop products that offer a solution to their skin care problems,” she says.

And this is good news for men.