David Pocock was the key to the successful delivery of our Strength to Care story. He spoke to an audience not traditionally open to conversations about masculinity.

But he was not just a 'face'.

Notoriously reclusive, our creative team created an environment in which David was comfortable to share his most personal thoughts. Through a series of workshops we better understood the motivations behind his values. We gave him the tools to bring his messages to life and found common ground with the Dove brand. We pieced together these elements of care away from the field makes him so prolific on the field.

David's stories - in his own words - gave our campaign, credibility, recognition, substance and engagement in the rugby community. The rugby community has been historically resistant to conversations on this subject but with a man of such substance we broke through.

We had found the perfect guy, but at first glance, the perfect guy wasn’t likely to work with us.

In order to get Pocock’s support for the campaign, we had to undertake a very personal process, demonstrating how the brand aligns with his beliefs.

David had refused many ambassador opportunities in the past - his intense moral compass making traditional approaches useless.

Dove's track record of honesty and reality in advertising with 'Like a Girl' and 'Campaign for Real Beauty' provided us the proof we needed to convince David to work with us.

It wasn’t the paycheck for David.

It wasn’t a profile opportunity.

This was an opportunity for him to share what he cares about in a way that he felt comfortable, confident and proud of.

Not at all your traditional celebrity endorsement, but one for which the hard work and effort has paid off.

The authentic creative and media placement strategy meant our message resonated immediately with rugby fans. Hearing these stories from a hero in such a relevant environment (live sport) and throughout the tournament gave weight to the messaging and breadth to the content.

Dove and Pocock’s stories have sparked instant debate. Positive articles about Homophobia, Mental Health and Masculinity were raised throughout the country. We created newsworthy attention being featured on Sky News, Channel 10, SBS and a range of local channels. The earned attention allowed men to share their personal stories and we witnessed a nation standing beside David Pocock through online posts #IStandWithPocock and I have the #StrengthToCare

In the first week of launch the campaign generated more than 3 million earned impression. But the further impact of reaching more than 50%, half of the male population to have a positive impact was incredible.

Dove wanted to challenge traditional stereotypes of masculinity, to support men in one of the most macho cultures on earth, Australia. We needed to grab our audience by the collar and hit them where we knew we had their attention via the sport they love. Rugby.

So we convinced the most interesting, entertaining and introverted Wallaby to tell his stories of strength. Because introverts often speak the loudest.

This campaign has been recognised globally;

Spikes Asia, Gold in Entertainment & Talent.

Australian, BeFest, Gold for best branded content campaign

UK, The Drum, best branded content campaign with positive impact.

We were seeking to address the unbalanced perceptions of masculinity in Australia, but our tool was arguably the most masculine sport of all.

Rugby.

How do we deliver a message via a sport that is the antithesis of what the brand was trying to land in its creative strategy?

We explored the world of rugby and uncovered a player who:

(1) Was an active campaigner against climate change, recently being arrested for a protest outside a mine.

(2) Refused to marry his partner until his gay friends were able to do the same in Australia.

(3) Is known as an incredibly compassionate, strong, socially conscience person.

A man who lived his life with 'Strength to Care'. A perfect star and curator for our stories.

David Pocock.

In 2016, Dove Men+Care renewed its sponsorship of the Qantas Wallabies. The purpose of this partnership was to leverage Rugby fan passion to demonstrate how their core brand idea (Care makes a man stronger), can connect men to more progressive, relevant and modern examples of masculinity.

Strength to Care was our creative platform devised to tackle the stigma of care being a sign of weakness. Rather, we wanted to celebrate a man’s caring approach to their loved ones, family and themselves.

It’s a celebration of the men who choose to live life with respect and equality for those around them, and the strength to care for the world we live in.