Restoring Relevance to a Heritage Skincare Brand
Creative Strategy & Development • Integrated Campaign • Experiential Design • Product Launch • Personal Care
The Challenge:
Contracted as multicultural market experts to assist Colangelo Synergy Marketing and advertising agency, BBH in an effort to reclaim Vaseline’s #1 preferred status among African American women age 30-40.
Despite the trusted Vaseline heritage and strong positive nostalgia, most users had moved on. Many other established skin care brands, such as Palmers, were viewed as having more immediate relevance. How to leverage the brand’s legacy, inspire the trust of a new generation with a fresh functional proposition and communicate the truth that Vaseline was moving on with them?
The Insight:
For African American women, dry skin is as much of an emotional issue as a physical one––self-image, self-confidence and social acceptance are inherently tied to skin.
The Solution:
Demonstrate that Vaseline not only understands African American skin, but also understands its significance. Shift the focus from the functional to the emotional by asking the question, “What does your skin mean to you?”
Results:
The 360° launch campaign was hailed as one of the most successful in Unilever history and was awarded the Unilever Gold Award for Brand Communication.