Dove Prints Special Edition of ‘Sports ReIllustrated’ Ahead of Super Bowl 59

Sports Illustrated has become Sports ReIllustrated ahead of the Super Bowl, in partnership with Dove as part of its ongoing “Body Confident Sport” program.

Honor Dayagaö’ Smoke, a 10-year-old wrestler from the Tonawanda Reservation, is the cover star of the historic promo issue of the magazine, which will be available to subscribers as part of the March issue from February 13.

The collaboration comes ahead Super Bowl 59, where Dove will air a 30-second spot from Ogilvy during the game’s fourth quarter. The commercial will address that nearly half of girls drop out of sports by age 14 due to low body confidence. 

“At Dove, we know the prevalence of body talk in sports—which often focuses on appearance over ability—harms girls’ body confidence,” said Marcela Melero, chief growth officer at Dove Personal Care North America in a statement.

She cited Dove data that shows 48% of girls drop out of sports after being told they have the wrong body type, adding: “It’s time to inspire change, not just in how we see young athletes, but in how we speak to them.”

The Unilever-owned brand’s Big Game plans follow its 2024 Super Bowl campaign which depicted girls practicing sports to the tune of “It’s a Hard-Knock Life,” from the musical Annie.

A self-esteem Super Bowl

In collaboration with Dove’s network of Body Confident Sport partners, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Women’s National Football Conference, Women’s Sports Foundation, the Positive Coaching Alliance, and others, Sports ReIllustrated “celebrates the stories of everyday athletes and rising stars bringing confidence to the world of sports,” Dove said in a statement.

It features profiles on athletes including Noelani Spicer, a 12 year-old track and field para-athlete from San Antonio, TX; Carmen Wilkey, a 12 year-old track and field athlete from Severance, CO; and Calyx Watkins, a 14 year-old basketball player from Detroit, MI.

The work also features ads referencing Dove’s “Real Beauty” and “Beauty Never Gets Old” campaigns. It builds on the company’s long-running “Self Esteem Project,” an education initiative that has reached more than 114 million young people across 153 countries since 2004.

As part of this, the “Body Confident Sport” program provides resources for parents, teachers, mentors, and kids to help young girls address body and self-esteem issues as they become women.

A rally to mark the launch of the magazine will take place in New Orleans, LA and feature Dove ambassadors, including tennis legends Venus Williams and Billie-Jean King and Olympic long jump gold medalist Tara Davis-Woodhall.

Stephen Cannella, editor-in-chief of Sports Illustrated, said: “As a publication deeply committed to storytelling that showcases the power and impact athletes at all levels can have, Sports Illustrated is proud to partner with Dove, a brand dedicated to championing girls and women of all ages.” 

 “By re-illustrating what it looks like to be an athlete, we hope we can inspire readers to rethink how we see and support the young athletes in our lives.”