If you told someone a few years ago that one of the biggest brand campaigns at the U.S. Open would revolve around armpits, they’d probably laugh it off. Yet here we are in 2025, and Dove has managed to turn underarms into marketing gold. Yes, you read that right. The Dove campaign is not just making noise, it’s making a cultural moment out of something most people overlook.
What’s so fascinating isn’t just that Dove is celebrating underarms, it’s how they’re doing it. They’re not playing it safe. They’re not just buying airtime or handing out free samples. No, they’re going straight to the source: everyday people who aren’t afraid to lift their arms high and show some personality while doing it. This bold, offbeat, and totally on-brand strategy is part of their fresh partnership with the U.S. Open, a clever mix of social relevance, body positivity, and next-gen influencer marketing.
How Dove made pits the main character
Let’s break down how this worked. Dove launched an open casting call for their first-ever Underarm Ambassador, inviting fans to post videos on Instagram or TikTok explaining why they deserve to be part of Dove’s N.U.L. deal, their cheeky spin on NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) sponsorships. Only instead of athletes, they’re targeting bold, confident creators ready to make content about, well, armpits.
What’s at stake? A $10,000 sponsorship, a full-on VIP trip to the U.S. Open, a feature spot on Dove’s TikTok, and of course, bragging rights as the world’s first “official underarm ambassador.” It’s weird. It’s funny. It’s brilliant. And the campaign proves that sometimes, you don’t need a new product, you just need a fresh way to talk about it.
What’s most impressive is that this isn’t random. It’s a calculated risk rooted in Dove’s long-standing Real Beauty platform. They’ve been championing every body, every skin tone, every wrinkle, freckle, and curve for years. Now they’re adding underarms to that list, and doing it at one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events. It’s a move that takes guts but fits perfectly into their brand identity.
The power of human-first influencer marketing
Unilever, Dove’s parent company, isn’t doing this just for laughs. This is part of a bigger pivot, moving half of its marketing budget to social media, ditching TV-first habits, and putting creator content at the center of their strategy. This isn’t just about being trendy. It’s about attention. And right now, that attention lives on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts.
What Dove understands better than most is that fans trust fans. They don’t need a supermodel with flawless skin to sell them deodorant, they want someone real, someone funny, someone like them. This approach also means the brand gets endless user-generated content that feels organic, not staged. By embracing this new wave of relatable, niche creators, the Dove campaign is tapping into a deeper kind of influence, one built on authenticity.
And if you’re a small business owner or marketing a startup, this is where it gets exciting. You don’t need Super Bowl money to make this work. You just need a bold idea, a strong identity, and the willingness to let your customers co-create your story.
Why the “Dove campaign” works and what we can all learn from it
There are a few key takeaways here that any entrepreneur or brand builder can steal from Dove’s playbook:
- Celebrate the overlooked.
Dove chose armpits, not exactly the sexiest part of the body, and turned them into heroes. What part of your product or brand have you ignored because you thought it was too mundane?
- Shift your media spend wisely.
Dove is moving half its marketing dollars into creator and social-first content. If you’re still relying heavily on paid ads or polished campaigns, it might be time to diversify.
- Leverage humor and humanity.
There’s something disarming and joyful about this Dove campaign. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s part of its charm. Consumers want to laugh, to connect, to feel. Don’t be afraid to let your brand have a little fun.
- Build your brand with people, not just for them.
By involving fans directly in the campaign, Dove creates more than awareness, they create ownership. That’s what turns audiences into ambassadors.
What makes this campaign hit differently
This wasn’t just a marketing strategy and gimmick for the cameras. There’s substance underneath the silliness. Dove tied the whole thing back to its 72-hour Advanced Care Antiperspirant, a product that’s all about long-lasting protection and skin-friendliness. So yes, you’re watching a TikTok about someone waving their arms around at a tennis match… but you’re also getting the message loud and clear: this stuff works, and it doesn’t irritate your skin.
It’s also worth noting that Dove has been setting the tone for social-led campaigns recently. Earlier this year, they dropped a full content series called #ShareTheFirst, built entirely from creator submissions. No fancy shoots. No studio budgets. Just raw, real, emotional stories. It worked. It connected. And now they’ve taken that momentum straight into the campaign by Dove at the U.S. Open.
Final thoughts: Bold pays off
At the end of the day, the Dove campaign isn’t just about armpits, it’s about knowing who you are as a brand and finding fresh, fearless ways to show up. They’re not shouting into the void. They’re inviting people to raise their hands, literally and figuratively, and be part of something playful and purpose-driven.
For brands out there stuck in rinse-and-repeat marketing cycles, this campaign is a friendly nudge: stop playing it safe. Stop chasing perfection. Start leading with purpose, personality, and a little bit of edge. Dove did. And they’re turning underarms into icons while they’re at it.
FAQ’s
1. How can I use fan content like big brands do?
Let your audience co-create, ask for videos, stories, or ideas and let them help build the vibe.
2. Is it worth shifting focus away from TV ads?
Yep, people are scrolling, not channel surfing. Social-first is where attention lives now.
3. What’s a smart way to make a product feel fresh again?
Find a new angle, turn something “ordinary” into the hero, like Dove did with armpits.