The Campaign

What’s your most unforgettable hair salon experience? For some, it is P&G’s Hair Boutique in the Sky. We knew that to overturn perceptions about hair care being a quick wash with a shampoo and conditioner, we had to encourage consumers to take their hair care to new heights to protect it from the winter weather. So, that’s what we did at the Taipei 101 building. We set up a salon 50 metres high, which invited the public to enjoy a 1-2-1 hair diagnostics with a professional, followed by a full treatment, and a photo shoot that would brave the elements at a high altitude. Famous actress and brand ambassador Ariel Lin, demonstrated this by ‘jumping out’ of the salon, which became the moment of the campaign. This moment was extended into an integrated campaign that straddled social media, in-store events, and traditional media with specially crafted content on how your hair can beat the winter blues. What was the talk of the town, translated into a 30% increase in sales growth for P&G’s Clinicare, Derma, Pantene, VS brands, compared to the previous year. The overall campaign generated 550,000 USD in earned media and a ROI of x38.

The Brief

Our goal was simple, we had to raise awareness of P&G’s hair care products beyond shampoos and conditioners. We needed to persuade our audience of young, female consumers that hair treatment didn’t end once you left the salon. However, we knew we had to somehow incorporate a salon professional’s advice, as they held our audience’s trust when it came to hair care. Insights also told us that we needed a ‘moment’ to attract attention; something that captured glamour in a one-off experience. This would help us change perceptions of what true hair care was, and increase sales for P&G.

Results

The P&G multiple brands – Clinicare, Derma, Pantene, VS – recorded a 30% increase in sales growth for the month, compared to the previous year. The Hair Boutique in the Sky attracted 400 participants on the day, and the overall campaign generated 550,000 USD in earned media, and was number 1 in share of voice from November through to February versus leading competitors. Through various channels – experiential, broadcast, social media and traditional media, we saw media impressions of 20 million, and a ROI of x38.

Execution

We built a fully-functioning hair salon, which contained hair care professionals and raised it 50 metres high to create our Hair Boutique in the Sky. The public was treated to a professional stylist’s 1-2-1 diagnosis and product recommendations on their hair problems, followed by a hair styling session in the sky salon! While in the sky, they were asked to pose for a photograph to capture their look. Spokesperson, Ariel Lin, took this one step further by ‘jumping’ out of the salon during the official press conference to show how true hair care can brave the elements! This image became the ‘moment’ of the campaign, but it didn’t end there. We held a hair care trial with top bloggers and created content on preventing winter damage for Facebook and lifestyle media publications, and also took a version of our Hair Boutique in the Sky experience to Watsons stores.

The Situation

Many Taiwanese consumers lack the concept of true “hair care.” When selecting hair products, they tend to pick up a shampoo and conditioner and stop there; rather than explore the full range of hair care products on offer. However, consumers were keen to repair and prevent hair damage caused by styling and environmental factors, but the sticking point for the company was that they did not perceive hair treatment products from P&G’s hair care range as a natural solution. Instead, they tended to listen to their high stylist’s recommendation and opt for salon brands instead.

The Strategy

Our strategy was to take hair care to new heights! We decided that our once-in-a-lifetime salon experience would be to create the first 360° panoramic Hair Boutique in the Sky in downtown Taipei City, next to the famous Taipei 101 building. This ‘moment’ would provide the ultimate hair care experience. We enlisted a brand ambassador, celebrity Ariel Lin, who would demonstrate how real hair care could keep you looking good in any situation! However, this, on its own, would not be enough to influence our audience and foster long-term change. So, we supported our moment of creative engagement by communicating through other channels such as social media, in-store events, and traditional media through specially created seasonal content on how to rescue hair from the winter weather.