The Campaign

Cream Silk has established itself as the hair care expert being able to offer solutions to Filipina’s hair problems. However, in 2012, the brand’s competitors, Dove and Pantene became aggressive with campaigns focusing on addressing Hair Fall problems, which was the top 2 market need in key SEA countries. This resulted to a dip in the brand’s association to being experts in hair care. Hence, the team needed to craft a solid marketing strategy to assert its dominance as the HAIR CARE EXPERT by cementing its functional superiority in Hair Fall. Hair brands usually promise strength with the generic hair tug shot. But we found out that consumer tends to be busy, shutting out generic, similarly executed messages until they encounter a benefit in an experiential way. That’s why the team turned functional superiority into an experience and used music to mount the most beautiful demonstration of hair strength. Cream Silk pushed boundaries of human hair strength by collaborating with bow-maker Paul Goh who created Human Hair Violin Bows, using hair conditioned with Cream Silk. We made consumers experience the power of strong hair in multiple touch points that was culminated with Cream Silk Hair Sonata, the world’s first hair symphony orchestra. The campaign helped increase the brand’s facebook fans with record-breaking engagement rate, generated 264,163,766 digital impression and 910,000 USD earned media, landed its highest ever market share in 2 years, which ultimately gained the brand’s momentum to further establish its being the hair care expert.

The Brief

With Hair Fall becoming an increasingly relevant consumer need and with competitive heat intensifying affecting consumers perception about Cream Silk, the brand needed to craft a solid marketing strategy to assert its dominance in Hair Fall and in effect, dominance in total hair conditioners as the hair care expert. KPIs are as follows: - Increase in penetration - Increase in sales value - Increase in market share - Increase in the Must Win Attribute “Expert in Hair Care”

Results

The campaign helped total CreamSilk grow by 14% and CSK Hair Fall Defense by 17%, reach its highest-ever penetration - 36.3, and highest–ever market share - 67.8 in 2 years. Only a week from launch, CreamSilk’s TVC garnered 2,022,247 YouTube views and headlined top beauty/style blogs. Days after the behind-the-scenes AVP’s release, the video received 2,198,177 views. The top three TV networks featured Hair Serenades, while mall-goers posted online, starting social media discussions. Hair Sonata became a national event, covered live by 7 TV networks, seen by 19,300,000 viewers. Liveblog and livestream garnered 4,559 and 1,547 views respectively, reached 40% of Philippine Twitter users that night, became among Rappler’s “Top 10 Most Read News Online." It increased its Facebook fans by 85% with record-breaking 22.4% engagement (vs. 5% Norm), generated 264,163,766 digital impressions and 910,000 USD earned media. These helped CreamSilk bounce back, gain momentum in establishing the brand's expertise.

Execution

The campaign kicked-off with key influencers’ teaser tweets and Facebook posts days before the TVC’s airing. It was simultaneously aired across 7 networks. We kept consumer engagement through new content – taking them into the journey behind the TVC through AVP-seeding online. CreamSilk violinists toured and serenaded radio stations, media offices, and malls giving consumers a taste of what to expect. The Human Hair Bow orchestra performed in The Voice’s season finale. There was also a Hair Sonata Experience digital promo, giving women glamorous makeovers and VIP tickets to the grandest demonstration of hair strength. All these culminated to the “CreamSilk Hair Sonata: The World’s First Hair Symphony Orchestra,” a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of beauty, music, art through the biggest and most beautiful hair strength demonstration. From other brands magnifying strong hair using typical hair pull demonstration TV spots; the team used a symphony orchestra performance as a unique medium.

The Situation

Cream Silk’s audience, in their mid 20’s, who aspire to be at the prime of their life. They want to stand out among their peers and be admired. She believes that when her hair is beautiful, nothing can stop her and anything is possible. According to an H&A study, Hair Fall is the top 2 market need in key SEA countries. Cream Silk’s main competitors, Dove and Pantene, have taken advantage of this opportunity, launching campaigns focused on addressing Hair Fall. Their aggressiveness to communicate their functional superiority affected Cream Silk and how its perceived as the hair care expert.

The Strategy

Beautifully strong hair from CreamSilk was the key message of the campaign, but the team decided to demonstrate this in a unique, unforgettable immersive experience. Violins create the most beautiful music and traditional violins use horsehair for its strength. What if instead of horsehair, a violin used human hair strengthened and conditioned by CreamSilk? The team collaborated with bow-maker Paul Goh in creating the first ever Human Hair Violin Bows, using hair treated with CreamSilk. This was celebrated in the world’s first hair symphony orchestra, the CreamSilk Hair Sonata, a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of beauty, music and art through the biggest and most beautiful demonstration of hair strength in the world. The team celebrated Filipino talent with the participation of 2 of the country’s artistic gems – Philharmonic Orchestra and Ballet Philippines. Through live streaming, news about the event spread and started conversation online worldwide, making the world its stage.