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Dove “Reverse Selfie” 2021

Dove “Reverse Selfie” (2021) is a Dove commercial directed by Benito Montorio for Ogilvy, produced by Independent. It won 13 awards, including Clio 2022 Silver — Film / 61 Seconds to Five Minutes, Cannes Lions 2022 Film Craft Bronze and D&AD 2022 Wood Pencil — Film / TV/VOD Commercials 31 - 120 Seconds.

A reverse-chronological ad shows a young woman's journey from a heavily filtered selfie to her natural self, highlighting the pressure social media puts on girls' self-esteem.

Video: Dove US on YouTube

Shot by shot

  1. A person's hands hold a smartphone displaying a social media post with a heavily filtered image of a young woman, as the number of likes decreases.© Dove0:02
  2. A young female with long brown hair looks down, her face partially obscured by shadow, in a close-up shot.© Dove0:07
  3. A young woman with dark hair and makeup looks directly at the camera, with a digital interface overlaying her face.© Dove0:12
  4. A young woman's face is seen in a closeup, with her eyes looking directly at the camera, as she removes her eyeliner.© Dove0:14
  5. A young woman's face is seen on a phone screen, with a filter being applied to her lips, making them fuller and redder.© Dove0:21
  6. A young woman with long brown hair holds up a smartphone to take a selfie in a softly lit room.© Dove0:25
  7. A hand with dark nail polish holds a white spray can, spraying a mist to the right, in a dimly lit interior.© Dove0:30
  8. A young person's hand is seen getting their fingernails painted with brown nail polish on a patterned table.© Dove0:31
  9. A young woman with long hair, in silhouette, pulls her hair into a ponytail in her bedroom during the day.© Dove0:34
  10. A young woman's hand reaches for a pink lipstick on a dresser in a bedroom.© Dove0:39
  11. A young girl with dark hair in a light purple top looks at her reflection in a mirror in her bedroom, appearing sad.© Dove0:42
  12. The Dove logo and text about social media's impact on girls' self-esteem appear on a white background, with the text changing to reveal more information.© Dove0:48

Stills © Dove. Made by Ogilvy, Independent and Benito Montorio.

Every shot, full-quality frames and clips, and search across every commercial. Free account.

The idea

Reverse chronology reveals the layers of digital and physical alteration for a selfie.

Tagline: “Let's Change Beauty”

reverse chronologydigital manipulationself-esteem issuesbeauty standardssocial media pressuretransformation

The cut

Length
60 s
Shots
31
Average shot
1.9 s

What creatives use Dove “Reverse Selfie” for

  1. 01Reference frames for your treatment

    Pitching something with the feel of Dove “Reverse Selfie”? A screenshot from a video player won't hold up in a deck.

    Download any frame of this spot at full quality, with its credits, or search every spot for the same look.

    A person's hands hold a smartphone displaying a social media post with a heavily filtered image of a young woman, as the number of likes decreases.© DoveA young female with long brown hair looks down, her face partially obscured by shadow, in a close-up shot.© DoveA young woman with dark hair and makeup looks directly at the camera, with a digital interface overlaying her face.© DoveA young woman's face is seen in a closeup, with her eyes looking directly at the camera, as she removes her eyeliner.© Dove
    Frames from Dove “Reverse Selfie”

  2. 02Shot list example: how it was cut

    You need the structure of a great spot, shot by shot, for your storyboard.

    Every shot of Dove “Reverse Selfie” in order, with its length, framing and what happens in it.

    A person's hands hold a smartphone displaying a social media post with a heavily filtered image of a young woman, as the number of likes decreases.© DoveA young female with long brown hair looks down, her face partially obscured by shadow, in a close-up shot.© DoveA young woman with dark hair and makeup looks directly at the camera, with a digital interface overlaying her face.© DoveA young woman's face is seen in a closeup, with her eyes looking directly at the camera, as she removes her eyeliner.© DoveA young woman's face is seen on a phone screen, with a filter being applied to her lips, making them fuller and redder.© DoveA young woman with long brown hair holds up a smartphone to take a selfie in a softly lit room.© Dove
    Length: 60 s · Shots: 31 · Average shot: 1.9 s

  3. 03Ad ideas: every spot built on a reverse chronology

    Before you present an idea, you need to know who has done it, and how.

    Dove “Reverse Selfie” is built on a reverse chronology. Search the library by idea to see every spot that uses it.

    Guinness “noitulovE”© GuinnessMerck for Mothers “Reverse”© Merck for MothersBarnardo's “Turn Around”© Barnardo'sTAC “Reconstruction”© TAC
    Guinness · Merck for Mothers · Barnardo's · TAC

More commercials by Benito Montorio

More from Ogilvy

  • Viatris "Make Love Last" (2025) commercial still© ViatrisViatris “Make Love Last” 2025OgilvyClio Awards Grand Prix 2025
  • Cadbury Celebrations "My SRK Ad" (2023) commercial still© Cadbury CelebrationsCadbury Celebrations “My SRK Ad” 2023Dir. Divij Kulkarni · OgilvyEffie Awards Grand Prix 2023
  • Perrier "Lion" (1991) commercial still© PerrierPerrier “Lion” 1991OgilvyCannes Lions Grand Prix 1991
  • Sprite "HURTS REAL GOOD" (2026) commercial still© SpriteSprite “HURTS REAL GOOD” 2026Dir. Julien & Quentin · Ogilvyshots Awards Gold 2026
  • Nanhi Kali "One is a Big Number" (2026) commercial still© Nanhi KaliNanhi Kali “One is a Big Number” 2026Dir. Afshan Hussain Shaikh · Ogilvyshots Awards Gold 2026
  • Powerade "The Ladder" (2026) commercial still© PoweradePowerade “The Ladder” 2026Dir. Jackson Tisi · OgilvyAICP Awards Winner 2026

Award-winning beauty & personal care commercials

Questions

Who directed the Dove “Reverse Selfie” commercial?

Benito Montorio directed it, produced by Independent, for the agency Ogilvy.

Which agency made Dove “Reverse Selfie”?

Ogilvy created it for Dove (2021).

What awards did Dove “Reverse Selfie” win?

13 awards, including Clio 2022 Silver — Film / 61 Seconds to Five Minutes, Cannes Lions 2022 Film Craft Bronze, D&AD 2022 Wood Pencil — Film / TV/VOD Commercials 31 - 120 Seconds and Effie US 2022 Gold (Personal Care).

What is the tagline of Dove “Reverse Selfie”?

“Let's Change Beauty”

Sources for the credits and awards

thedrum.comthedrum.comdandad.orgThe WorkThe Workweb.archive.orgoneclub.orgoneclub.orgoneclub.orgclios.comWARCweb.archive.org