Situation: The skincare brand VICHY (owned by L’OREAL) decided to target a new market and launch its latest product in 2007 :the SKINSET products consist of a cleansing foam and a moisturizer, designed for younger ages (14-19 years of age) that have problems with imbalanced skin, showing oilness and dryness at the same time.
In the past, VICHY only did target adult women of 25-30 years of age up to 70 years of age.

Problem: The young target group has seen their moms use VICHY products ; the brand is perceived as «uncool». VICHY products are available only at the pharmacy; the pharmacists are trained by VICHY to consult all skin issues. The teenagers have a natural resistance to enter the pharmacy and get a consultation.

Solution:

• · Breaking up the classic VICHY communication code: install a pink and baby blue color scheme, reflecting the products’ main color code.

• Attracting the mostly feminine target group with 5 unique TV spots on main music tv channels; showing in these spots how easy it is to take care of your skin using SKINSET; break with old perceptions about what supposedly is good for your skin.

• A young girl experiences mishappenings in a most amusing and sometimes crazy way.

Media Supports:

• TV ads on music television channels like MTV and VIVA

• Guerilla posters at schools and nearby

• Flyers with glued-on samples

• Flyer dispensers at schools and at pharmacies

• Promoteams outside of schools, distributing flyers and samples

Patric Pop's role :

• Creating the campaign and visual identity

• Teaming up with a Swiss German copywriter; define the appropriate terms for teenagers

• Convince the agency’s management and the client to break the corporate code for this unique occasion

• Convince the production studio to produce the 5 commercials for only one quarter of the original cost estimate

• Directing all external suppliers and production

Next steps :

To tap more effectively into today’s youth market, the following up-to-date communication means were also proposed, but in the end dropped for cost reasons:

• Download all the spots from the website onto a cell phone and share it with peers

• Offer the TV-spots’ music as cell phone ringtone

• Send rebates to the website’s visitors to their cell phones