The Campaign

To demonstrate how Head & Shoulders limited edition shampoo could help you keep a cool and dandruff-free head during summer, we created a poster like no other. A poster that actually sweats. And just like a real person, the hotter it gets, the more it’ll sweat. And as the attention of passers-by was grabbed, the poster cooled down anyone who would stand in front of it. Thus letting them experience the cooling sensation they would feel after a hair wash.

Creative Execution

We modified a freezer and installed it inside the frame of the poster to allow condensation to occur as the ambient temperature would rise. Equipped with a thermometer to demonstrate that the sweat was associated to the real-time temperature, at that specific location. Where as for the artwork, the portrait of a young man similar to the illustrated guy on the pack, was featured to link the poster with in-store collateral. A special coating was applied so that the condensation (sweat) would only occur on his face, leaving his hair looking great and healthy. Printed on a water-proof surface, the poster is designed to last for the entire month of April, Thailand’s hottest month of the year. Motion sensors would trigger a cooling mist for anyone standing in front of the poster, for them to experience the cooling sensation of Head & Shoulders Summer Limited Edition shampoo.

The “Sweating Poster” is not only relevant to the Head & Shoulders brand and its anti-dandruff benefit, but it related to Thais on a cultural, as well as a seasonal level. Within just couple of weeks after launch, the Summer limited edition shampoo was a popular choice, stealing market share from the other anti-dandruff products that fought with the same anti-dandruff efficacy claims. The “Sweating Poster” contributed to the popularity of Head & Shoulders Summer limited edition shampoo, as it became the remedy to various hotheaded status updates and complaints on social media pages.

Sweat is one of the major cause of dandruff and itch. To raise awareness of the cooling benefit of Head & Shoulders Summer Limited Edition shampoo, we created a poster that actually sweats under the sun. We needed an outdoor medium that would be exposed to direct sunlight for our “Sweating Poster” to work, while being accessible for consumers to interact with. As it is common behavior for Thais to seek refuge in the air-conditioned shopping malls, we strategically placed our poster at the entrance of Bangkok’s most frequented mall.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Thailand’s summer can be extremely hot, causing anyone who would stand a few minutes under the harsh sun to sweat. As sweat is one of the main causes of dandruff and itch, we used this situation to relate to our audience on a local context by demonstrating in a unique way how Head & Shoulders summer limited edition shampoo could benefit them. During the hot season, it is a common behaviour to see locals finding refuge in the air-conditioned shopping malls. For this reason, we strategically placed the “Sweating Poster” in front of the main entrance of Bangkok’s most popular shopping destination. And as our audience would be in the mindset to find somewhere to cool down, we proposed them a solution that would not only keep their heads cool, but also be dandruff-free, so they could confidently lose sweat, but not their cool this summer.