Dove is looking to upend gender stereotypes from an early age with a new global campaign that challenges the tendency to focus on beauty when offering praise to young girls.

In a project-based collaboration between Zulu Alpha Kilo’s Toronto and New York offices and the Unilever brand, “Change the Compliment” urges parents and role models to go beyond looks when it comes to conversations about female excellence.

The hero film uses a mix of found footage and filmed moments to show how messages like “she’s so pretty” and “you’re beautiful,” even when well-meaning, can limit how girls see themselves. Instead, Dove implores audiences to recognize traits like creativity, perseverance and bravery as equally worthy of appreciation.

“One of the most powerful truths our research has revealed is that low confidence in appearance doesn’t begin in adulthood – it takes root in childhood,” Marcela Melero, chief growth officer of Dove Personal Care North America and Dove Masterbrand, said in a news release. “We’ve identified a simple shift to help young girls understand that they are so much more than how they look.”

The campaign is rolling out to coincide with the International Day of the Girl on Saturday.

In market in 25 countries, the work spans TV, cinema and social platforms. Large-scale activations include OOH at Toronto’s Sankofa Square, featuring the message “Don’t just call me beautiful.” Social-first extensions include a custom CapCut template for TikTok, an “Add Yours” Instagram sticker inviting people to share their own stories and influencer-led content.

For the Canadian portion of the campaign, Initiative handled the media buy, Edelman supported with earned media and Collectively developed the influencer activations.

“The provocation here is that what feels like a harmless, positive behaviour is actually the root of our confidence issues as girls and women,” Emily Garvey, head of strategy at Zulu Alpha Kilo New York, said in the release. “The work had to spark a cultural conversation to change how people see what they’ve always accepted.”

Part of the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the initiative expands the brand’s global body-confidence education program, which has reached more than 137 million young people across 153 countries. Workshops in schools and communities will continue through October.