Dove has made skincare claims about deodorants and antiperspirants for years. But to drive home the point that its latest, greatest new product really deserves to be thought of as skincare, it’s putting samples in beauty fridges on the streets of Manhattan today.

Beauty refrigerators have become popular for skincare enthusiasts to extend the shelf life of high-end products. Unilever claims its new Dove Ultimate Antiperspirant offers hydrating care for the underarms similar to what facial skincare provides, hence the sampling beauty fridges showing up at 15 sites downtown on March 29. (The new product doesn't require refrigeration.)

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The effort is part of a broader launch that Augusto Garzon, global VP of deodorants, hopes will push Dove over the top to surpass Procter & Gamble Co.’s Secret as the top U.S. women’s deodorant brand after years of share gains.

The rare experiential marketing gambit for a deodorant brand dovetails with a broader TV, digital and print advertising in a campaign from WPP and Edelman.

'Start restoring the skin'

This is not just about pretty armpits. Unilever research shows 25% to 30% of women globally suffer underarm skincare problems from shaving, which removes skin as well as hair, Garzon said. Dove has found a way to formulate antiperspirant with six times more glycerin, which improves levels of ceramides for healthier skin, he said.

“This is one of the few formulations that can start restoring the skin,” he said. And the level of hydration is similar to what high-end skincare products achieve, he said.

Unilever is putting the same formulation into Dove Men+Care products, but found men are more into the fact that the reconstituted product goes on much smoother.

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