The Campaign

Transform jade from symbol to actual shield. Jade is a gemstone that is an ancient symbol of protection against evil in Chinese culture all over the world. It is widely worn by Asians everywhere till today. To directly repurpose this cultural behaviour, By Invite Only designed a special line of jade jewellery that paired jade beads with identical-looking citronella oil-coated beads. Citronella oil is a natural ingredient that repels mosquitoes effectively. The pieces looked exactly like any other beautiful jade jewellery, making it a seamless fit into everyday behaviour, and they literally protected the women who wore them. By selling it online, in addition to By Invite Only’s brick and mortar boutique, the jewellery was made directly available to women everywhere.

Creative Execution

The jade collection was called Yu Ahn – which in Chinese, literally translates into “safe jade”. As well as speaking directly to its target audience, the collection also incorporated both classic and contemporary designs, integrating our secret weapon, the jade-coloured citronella beads seamlessly into all kinds of personal styles. Jade has always been a mainstay in women’s everyday accessories, but this was the first time it was being utilised as a mosquito repellent. Each piece in the collection featured authentic jade beads, stainless steel filigree and little jade-coloured citronella beads. Most effective for up to 7 days, the citronella beads were also sold separately in refill packs, so wearers could wear these protective pieces forever. The jewellery was sold across the world online and in By Invite Only’s brick and mortar boutique, reaching as many Asian women as possible and keeping them safe, as well as beautiful.

Results

is currently being made. - Yu Ahn's sales was 15% higher as compared to the store's next best seller. - The brand increased its online brand engagement by 20%. - As the race to find a cure for Zika, malaria and dengue continues, for now, Yu Ahn continues to protect everyone in a beautiful and elegant way.

Yu Ahn is a jade jewellery collection that directly taps into ongoing consumer behaviour. Instead of trying to turn around a centuries-old symbol in Asian culture – the jade stone – the designer behind it, By Invite Only, built on it as the most direct means of speaking to the audience. It generated immediate response through sales, and successfully penetrated a mindset to solve a widespread problem.

The strategy was to directly place mosquito repellent into the public’s everyday lives. After all, people are well educated of the dangers of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and Zika, yet they are still not taking any proactive protective measures. Jade, on the other hand, is very much alive and worn in today’s local culture. It is not merely another gem – it holds deep traditional meaning in Chinese tradition where jade jewellery is both presented as symbolic gifts of protection against evil to girls, young and old, as well as passed down as treasured pieces in the family. It was the perfect medium to feature jade-coloured citronella beads in a jewellery collection, as both culturally relevant as well as protective measure. By launching the collection online, By Invite Only was able to make the pieces available across the world to keep as many people as possible safe.