Dove launches "Hot Seats" music festival campaign targeting body odor concerns; brand creates scavenger hunts in four cities during Charli XCX's Brat 2025 arena tour

April 7, 2025 (Marketing Dive) –

Dive Brief:

-- Dove, a Unilever brand, launched the next stage of its “Let Your Body Body” campaign on April 2 , according to a press release. “Hot Seats” leverages music festival season to promote the brand’s whole body deodorant line. -- Campaign activations include a scavenger hunt in cities featured in Charli XCX’s Brat 2025 arena tour – Austin , Minneapolis , Chicago and New York . The scavenger hunt kicks off April 5 . -- The concert-centric campaign was inspired by TikTok videos of people complaining about the smell at some music events, a topic that has amassed over 56 million views. “Hot Seats” utilizes IRL activations, including a digital billboard truck and Reddit clues to engage with consumers as they look to score tickets to in-demand events. Dive Insight:

Dove is building off its “Let Your Body Body” campaign with the “Hot Seats” effort. The campaign leverages access to concerts like Charli XCX's sold-out tour to engage young consumers with an opportunity to win tickets. A hunt blends social media and real life to keep consumers invested throughout the tour and other live concerts.

“Let Your Body Body” puts music at the forefront, using a take on Khia’s “My Neck, My Back” by Chika to promote dance as a form of self-love and expression. Taking advantage of festival season makes sense for Dove to extend the effort as so many consumers complain about body odor at music events. Dove’s Whole Body Deo collection launched in 2024 as the demand for whole body deodorizers rose. While similar products such as Unilever's Axe Body Spray have been around since the 1980s, 2024 marked a watershed moment for the industry as companies such as Dove, Native, Secret and others launched their own version of the product.

“Hot Seats” kicked off April 1 with a pop-up concert featuring Sofi Tukker . In addition to the Charli XCX concert, Dove will be providing seats at Lollapalooza and other events throughout the year.

The effort also keys into how difficult it has become to obtain concert tickets as the demand for live events mounts. “Hot Seats” gives music fans a second chance to score tickets for in-demand shows like Charli XCX’s Brat tour, which has become a cultural phenomenon and quickly sold out.

Scavenger hunts are a go-to strategy for marketers looking to engage consumers with a brand. In September, Chipotle launched a digital scavenger hunt to give away free quesadillas.