Nike and Dove launch new website to help young girls build confidence in the sports world

The GIST: Nike and Dove have teamed up to launch Body Confident Sport, a website that offers scientifically proven coaching tools to help tween and teenage girls feel confident and comfortable in the sports world. Run it like a girl.

The details: Body Confident Sport was developed over two years by world-renowned researchers, using input from nearly 5K teen girls worldwide. The project’s free, open-source tools were scientifically proven to boost body confidence in clinical trials with more than 1.2K participants.

• The research cited sporting environments’ negative impact on self-esteem as the main reason teenage girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys. On the flip side, 74% of those surveyed credited their coaches for having a positive impact on their confidence.

The companies: Dove and Nike aligned on their longstanding commitment to build self-esteem in women and girls, with Nike encouraging equal play and Dove combating the beauty industry’s toxic side. It makes sense that a world leader fighting to keep girls in sport would partner with a global self-esteem expert. Teamwork makes the dream work.

Zooming out: The crossover may seem unexpected, but unique and mission-driven partnerships like this can be clever marketing plays. Glossier’s holistic beauty approach makes it an ideal partner for the player-driven WNBA, while FanDuel’s coffee/betting activation gave fans an extra kick during the FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer. Thinking outside the box.