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Beauty brand Dove and Sports Illustrated have teamed up ahead of the Big Game to release a special edition magazine highlighting young female athletes breaking barriers in their sports.
Made together with global communications firm Edelman, it will include a collection of stories featuring 10 inspiring young athletes, including 10-year-old Honor Smoke, the youngest athlete to ever appear on a Sports Illustrated promotional cover.
"I have seen so many of the athletes I look up to on the cover of magazines, so when my mom told me I’d be on the cover of Sports reIllustrated I was so happy.
Wrestling is a huge part of who I am, and I have even inspired my two younger sisters to play," Smoke said in a press statement.
"Sports reIllustrated" will be available online starting February 3 and distributed in New Orleans before the Super Bowl. Additionally, it will also run as a special section in Sports Illustrated’s March issue.
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The magazine features young athletes from Dove’s network of "Body Confident Sport" partners, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Women’s Sports Foundation:
- Ja'Nor Elzie, a 12-year-old basketball player
- Liana Chan, an 11-year-old ice hockey player
- Carmen Wilkey, a 12-year-old track and field athlete
- Pepper Persley, a 13-year-old basketball player
- Lala Scholl, a 12-year-old soccer player
- Noelani Spicer, a 12-year-old track and field para-athlete
- Julia Dinar, a 13-year-old fencer
- Calyx Watkins, a 14-year-old basketball player
- Krin Brown, a 13-year-old lacrosse player
Dove Personal Care North America Chief Growth Officer Marcela Melero shared that the campaign seeks to shift the conversation around body talk in sports — where appearance often overshadows ability — to protect and empower girls' confidence.
"With 48% of girls who drop out of sports being told they have the wrong body type, it's time to inspire change, not just in how we see young athletes, but in how we speak to them," she added.
Melero continued her statement, expressing the brand's excitement to partner with a "major titan in sports media" to give girls the confidence they need to thrive in sports.
With this campaign, Dove is amplifying its commitment to empowering young female athletes and reinforcing its brand values on a massive stage — an approach that resonates with purpose-driven consumers and strengthens long-term brand equity.
Championing Confidence in Sports
Dove and Edelman's latest campaign was made to spotlight the growing concerns about body image and self-confidence in youth sports.
Many young athletes are told they don’t have the right body type to succeed, a message that discourages participation and limits opportunities.
The beauty giant's partnership with Sports Illustrated aims to change this narrative by reinforcing the idea that "athleticism comes in all shapes, sizes, and abilities."
Sports Illustrated EIC Stephen Cannella emphasized the importance of representation.
"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," he shared.
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Notably, the project aligns with Dove’s "Body Confident Sport" program, a coaching tool designed to build body confidence in girls aged 11 to 17 and encourage them to stay in sports.
To further its commitment, Dove has also assembled the "Body Confident Collective," an all-star team of influential female figures in sports.
Members include tennis champions Venus Williams and Emma Navarro, WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu, and Olympic long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall.
With this initiative, Dove continues its mission to help young athletes feel confident in their abilities — on and off the field.
Meanwhile, Adidas and Midnight Club previously teamed up for a campaign celebrating the career of NBA legend Derrick Rose.
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