Dove – Scalp Build-up Test

For the Scalp Build-up Test, Dove needed to make the "Scalp Build-up" promise something shoppers in the hair care category could see for themselves, not just read on a label. In the few seconds a shopper spends at shelf or in a consultation, copy and ingredient lists rarely land, especially when rival products advertise oil control claims.

The brief for the Scalp Build-up Test was to turn that abstract message into a tangible, repeatable proof point that retail staff, pharmacists or beauty advisors could run on demand, without lab equipment or specialist training, while staying on brand for Dove.

To support the U.S. launch of its innovative Scalp + Therapy product line, Dove targeted major retailers, including Walmart, Target, Drug, and Kroger. The campaign aimed to create an engaging in-store experience that not only captured consumer attention but also educated...

USP Demo Solutions built the Scalp Build-up Test for Dove around the Scalp Sebum Test method, reducing the Scalp Build-up story to a single visible reaction the consumer can trigger themselves. That gives the conversation a clear before/after moment in the hair care aisle instead of a one-way pitch.

From the same physical interaction with the Scalp Build-up Test, the demo substantiates claim areas such as oil control, so a single asset can carry several conversations across the Dove range.

The result for Dove is a education, delivered through the Scalp Build-up Test as something the consumer experiences first-hand rather than has to take on trust.

By turning Dove's "Scalp Build-up" message into a hands-on Scalp Sebum Test moment, the Scalp Build-up Test becomes a credible, science-backed conversation starter the shopper can repeat for a friend.

In the field, Dove runs the Scalp Build-up Test primarily for retail activation, delivered in diagnostic tool, physical demo so the same Scalp Sebum Test proof point travels from a pharmacist's counter to a beauty advisor's tablet without losing its logic.