The Challenge
At a time when many brands are backtracking on their diversity and inclusion efforts, Dove’s commitment to real and tangible action on behalf of underrepresented women continues to set it apart. Dove had built deep trust with the Black community by advancing the CROWN Act, which helps protect against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles in America.
Using its hard-won credibility garnered across decades of action, Dove is pushing into new frontiers where representation is still a considerable challenge, and where empowerment and expression are still often suppressed and stifled.
The gaming industry is one of those frontiers. Unlike other forms of media and advertising, the gaming industry has been surprisingly slow to focus on increasing authentic representation of all women on its platforms — with a real impact on gamers’ ability to see or authentically express themselves in gameplay.
The Strategy
We commissioned research to unpack the issue. It found that 85% of Black gamers say they feel underrepresented in video games, specifically when it comes to the depiction of their hair textures. This was confirmed in further qualitative research with game developers.
85% of Black gamers feel underrepresented in video games, specifically when it comes to the depiction of their hair textures. This was not a niche problem: 48% of game players identify as female, and 29% of game players are people of color. Additionally, 87% of Gen-Z (a critical growth audience for Dove) play games.
In an increasingly digitally native world, there are now millions of Black female gamers. We wanted to bring fresh, contemporary relevance to Dove’s mission — making beauty a source of confidence, not anxiety, for all women. With this initiative, gamers would see their identities more authentically mirrored in their avatars, affirming self-perception and confidence.
