Why Dove’s Brand Story Videos are Incredibly Powerful

Whenever I meet a client to discuss the importance of making a brand story video for their business, I will never fail to mention what Dove has done to impact their community of supporters and customers. Over the years, Dove has consistently churned out brand story videos that address the imperfections and beauty of human beings, creating a series of videos that focus on telling the stories behind their customers. In short, their videos have moved me on so many levels.

I remembered an incident where I accidentally chanced upon one of Dove’s videos that addresses the importance of feeling beautiful. If I remember correctly, this video popped up on my YouTube recommendation because I previously watched videos on storytelling.

Here is the video:

It was so beautifully written and filmed that it left a strong impression on me even many years later. In short, the video discusses the difference between how we perceive ourselves and others. The message it brought to its viewers is straightforward and heartfelt—we see ourselves as ugly while others see us as beautiful. It's such a lovely film about self-love.

Here are some reasons why Dove’s brand videos are so impactful.

Emotionally-relatable

The most important part or characteristic to have in your brand video is how much it can resonate with your customer’s emotions. When it boils down to selling a particular service or product, one must be able to picture themselves using your product or service. There are several ways to help your customers do so like price point, origins, comparison, reviews and so on. Although these methods are straightforward, they might not do your brand justice because they might turn into something competitive or hard-selling. Imagine a situation where all your competitors putting out the same type of content and to get the customer’s attention, we have to lower our prices, offer more powerful reviews or create an eye-catching package plan. In the long run, this might affect your brand’s values.

On the other hand, Dove took a path that is way out of the norm. They created a series of videos that feature the stories of their customers addressing some of the issues we face in today’s society. Not only will this resonate with their customers and viewers, but it also plays an important part in reflecting what Dove is all about.

Production Value and Quality

Dove’s brand videos are well-written and filmed. Take the time to watch some of their films, and you will understand what I mean. As I watch their videos from my filmmaker’s point of view, I am highly impressed with their production quality.
- How they frame their shots
- How they light the scenes
- How they play around with shadows to amplify the subject’s emotions
- How they focus on the little details
- How they coloured the film
- How they paired the perfect soundtrack to match the emotions

So beautiful!

Over the years, social media has helped us become more responsive to high-quality content. Since most video and photo equipment is much more affordable now, we will see a rise in quality content posted across all social media platforms.

Why is it important to put out visually stunning content?
Because it represents your brand’s values and identity.

First impressions are important. Let’s think of it this way. If you market your products or services on Instagram, a video- and photo-focused platform, potential customers will judge brands based on the visuals they put out. Even if you are selling the best product or service, it won’t matter because your customers will need to pass through your impression to get to know your brand better. In this case, your visuals. If you have poor visuals to represent your brand on platforms like Instagram, they might skip your page eventually.

Looking at all the quality content Dove has been putting out over the years, we can confidently assume that Dove is a brand of quality and assurance. They pay attention to the little details, from the writings, stories, filming, and post-production. With this in play, we can also conclude that Dove is detail-orientated. Who wouldn’t want to purchase their products after this big discovery?

Placing their customers first

I remember proposing a video idea to a client of mine to amplify the message and values behind his brand.

“Why don’t we create a series of videos that will allow your clients to talk about their businesses and the stories behind their successes?”

In short, the client was against this idea because he did not want to spend his marketing budget to create videos that did not sell his product.

Although I agree with his reasoning, I believe that if we can put our customers first, everything else will fall into place eventually. Only time will tell.

In this case, most of Dove’s branding videos are not centred around their products. Instead, they focus on putting their customers on pedestals and work towards inspiring others through real-life stories. If we look at this from a general point of view, we can conclude that Dove is a selfless brand.

Even though most of their videos are not centred around their products, purchasing their products will allow me to feel proud as a consumer because I am part of a bigger picture to inspire others through actionable stories.

My thoughts

Sometimes, things are not as straightforward as they seem.

For example:
If you want to sell a product, you market the product.
If you want to sell your services, you market your services.

Let's look at these examples from afar from a general point of view. Conventional ways to market your products and services will work, but it might be downsides. Utilising stories to market your products and services will work, but it might also have downsides. There is no right or wrong way to market your products. However, if you approach your marketing strategies in a value-added way, you might be able to stand out more. Instead of placing your products or services on a pedestal and announcing to the world how great they are, dial down and work on the values they can give your customers internally and externally.

Let me leave you with another example from Dove.

Yes, from the get-go, Dove sells beauty products.
But from what I have witnessed over the years, Dove sells a movement, too.
This will allow their customers to be part of their journey, allowing them to feel a sense of belonging.

If you have an idea of your internal and external goals, you might transform into a brand that is highly respected, loved, and supported by everyone.