Wednesday 14 May 2014

The Dove Play Date

I take a break from being the usual theater guide to reminisce about a day loaded with pampering and fun. 

It would be an understatement to say that the dove date play was an experience of a lifetime. Dove date play was an all-women all bloggers meet. Spread across series of games and fun filled activities, dove told us how strong, endearing and beautiful we all women are.

The scrumptious spread at the event


We were divided into 12 team of 10 members each. We were to name our teams after a hairstyle and we named our team the "Bun Games". It was fun meeting these women from different walks of life and bonding with them over food, drinks and games.


"Usie" - Team Bun Games

We began with Zumba. Conscious of on-lookers and struck by the glaze of our self-created imperfect appearances , dancing in public is, probably, one of the world’s most common phobia. But at the dove play date, we all threw our consciousness out of the window and danced. And boy! Didn't we all love it? I think this session was on the lines of what Dove as a brand has always wished to achieve – To forget the superficial external appearances and to celebrate your inner beauty!


Zumba-austed


Now began the series of team games. Our team’s first challenge was the Jig-Saw puzzle. I like how each of the games had an underlying message connecting to the brand’s ideology. For me, each of the teams represented a dove product and the broken jig-saw pieces the various hair and skin problem, we women go through. And just like we all worked together to get the pieces in place, dove, too, works to fixes our broken hair and skin together.

Next up was the Hoola Hoop. Though we all failed miserably to balance our loops, we had mad fun trying our hands at it. The activity subtly suggested that how we as women "balance" out so many roles in a day as mothers, daughters, daughter-in-laws, sisters, co-workers, wives but we never cringe. We essay each role so beautifully and with so much of love and fun. Just like dove, which “balances” out the roughness of our hair and skin, day-in and day-out with sheer love.
 
Move your body, baby!

Then was the time for some ball catching. We sailed through the challenge with sore back and knees though. But then, when a woman sets her eye on something, there is no stopping her.


Glued to the ball count. Super competitive, aren't we?


Our last challenge was at the hair styling booth. Each one of us had to become a hairstylist for the challenge and try "different" hairstyles on each other.  And we all did a stupendous job. Curly, wavy, straight, rough, dry, silky – no matter how “different “ your hair may be, Dove makes it all look the same -  beautiful.

Team Bun Games styling like professional stylists
                                       
Done with our challenges, it was time to pamper ourselves. It was time for the Dove Salon. Armed with our personal stylists, we all transformed into the divas with our new hairstyles. After all, hair is the crown we wear on our heads everyday. 

Pampering at the Dove Salon

Though the entire day was amazing, this one particular incident stands out in my memory. I remember how one of my team members injured her finger during the jig saw challenge. The Dove team members came to her aid immediately and tended to her injury. But this is not where it ends, the organizers made sure everyone was dropped back home safely. I, especially, liked how each participant was asked to drop a message to one of the organizers once they reach back home safely. This can be expected only from a brand which has cared for women and their well-being for generations now.

All I can say is that Dove really stands by its motto- Go play and we will take care of the rest.

To sum it up, each of the activities at the event alluded to the fact that real beauty comes from sheer happiness and having fun. Dove's campaign for real beauty is absolutely commendable. What I love about Dove is that they did not try to sell us any skin lightening products at the event. For Dove, the stress has always been on products which will make your hair and skin smooth, soft and clean. And that's exactly what toiletries are meant and supposed to do. Dove doesn't try to sell you unreal and make believe images of super model and celebrities. It has in fact constantly urged women to celebrate their natural beauty. Kudos to Team Dove for that.


Please do watch this beautiful video about women and the flawed perception they have about their own beauty. The video is a part of Dove's campaign for real beauty.

Dove Real Beauty Sketches
                                                                  Source: YouTube


Amidst the grind of this patriarchal world, Dove made us all feel blessed to be born as women. Thank you Dove for pampering us on the play date and through your products for all these years.

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