Unilever's Dove is back for a second year as Official Underarm Sponsor of the US Open with a campaign called "Don't Sweat It. Make A Racket." It bundles video content, out-of-home advertising and community activation, timed to a tournament that begins August 23.
The activation runs on four tracks. Photographers Tyrell Hampton and Johnny Criollo — the latter behind the Watching New York account — shoot style and trend content around the tournament. A social series called "Racquet Report," made with the USTA, has comedian Carly Aquilino interviewing fans. On site, Dove runs a refreshment space at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center where visitors can touch up and take photos. And to mark the Women's Finals, Dove picks up the tab at 10 women-owned bars across the U.S.
The product at the center is Dove Invisible, an antiperspirant the brand says leaves no white marks on clothing. "Whether you're making a statement with your match day outfit or cheering at home with your hands raised high, Dove helps you do it without worrying about sweat or white marks," said Kevin Tolson, head of Dove and SheaMoisture deodorants at Unilever.
The campaign puts forward the one body part most consumers would rather not think about in late summer. The logic is straightforward: an unusually hot season raises demand for sweat protection, and the tournament supplies the occasion. Dove then layers on the confidence-and-empowerment messaging it has used for years, converting an awkward category into self-expression. It is the same move as P&G Takes On Incontinence Stigma With the NFL.
The effort follows Unilever personal care's large World Cup presence earlier this summer — the company's biggest sports partnership activation to date, built around creator marketing with more than 50,000 global creators. Unilever's personal care segment grew underlying sales 5.9% in Q2, helped by that work. CEO Fernando Fernandez called it proof of "a new social-first model of reach and engagement."
First, the sponsorship buys situations, not impressions. Heat, outfits and viewing behavior are specific moments the product benefit attaches to. Second, content, experience and community each have a distinct job: photo and interview series drive reach, the on-site lounge drives trial, and the bar sponsorship carries goodwill and local relevance. Third, the new product rides on brand equity Dove already owns, so the campaign extends the brand rather than repositioning it.
The portable lesson is budget placement. Dove spent less on the venue itself and more along the fan's day — pre-match prep, cheering, the after-party. Buying many thin touchpoints tends to travel further on social than buying one large asset.
"Don't Sweat It. Make A Racket." It runs around the US Open, which starts August 23. Dove has been the tournament's Official Underarm Sponsor since last year.
Style content with photographers Tyrell Hampton and Johnny Criollo, a USTA fan-interview series hosted by Carly Aquilino, a refreshment space at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, sponsored food and drinks at 10 women-owned bars, and out-of-home ads.
It follows Unilever's World Cup activation, its largest sports partnership to date, which involved more than 50,000 creators. Personal care underlying sales grew 5.9% in Q2, partly on the back of that work.
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