2014 Winners & Shortlists

CAREFREE SECRET TALKS

Short List
BrandJOHNSON & JOHNSON
Product/ServiceCAREFREE
EntrantINITIATIVE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryAmbient Media: Small Scale
Media Agency INITIATIVE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Entrant Company INITIATIVE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Media Agency 2 INITIATIVE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Results and Effectiveness

Carefree managed to cleverly reach out to women that were previously impossible to even approach, let alone educate about a much needed product. And the payoff was evident: - Sales in Saudi Arabia increased 24% vs. the same period last year - 73% of non category users tried the samples - 26% purchased a pack within 4 weeks of trying the sample

Creative Execution

‘Carefree boldly went where no brand had gone before to talk to Saudi women about feminine hygiene. Mall Washrooms – Saudi Arabia is largely a mall culture due to the lack of other public venues to interact and socialize and one of the few places we could catch Saudi women alone. We set up Carefree booths in women’s washrooms of major shopping malls with live promoters who handed out samples and product information. And behind every stall door we placed educational Carefree advertisements. Lingerie Stores – Knowing Saudi women spend a lot of time and money buying lingerie, it was the ideal place to intercept them and let them know how Carefree can help protect their purchases. We teamed up with upscale lingerie brand Purdu where we had female promoters hand out samples and explain Carefree’s benefits. We also branded changing rooms, hangers, and checkout counters with Carefree messaging.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Brand research indicated that 86% of women in Saudi Arabia knew about Carefree panty liners, but less than half of them were using it. Conversion from trial to usage was high, so we needed to get women to try the product. But how do you approach women in a conservative culture about something as intimate as feminine hygiene? Saudi women who experience feminine moisture while out and about, no matter how slight, often return home to cleanse. We discovered that before doing so, many first disposed of their panties in washroom stalls before changing into a fresh pair carried in their handbags. This was our moment of truth! We decided to reach out to Saudi women at the moment when they were throwing their underwear away and let them know Carefree offers a better solution. And that they could invest in higher grade lingerie without the risk of ruining it.

Credits

Name Company Role
Seema Radhakrishnan Initiative Media Group Media Director
Sunali Weerasinghe Initiative Media Media Manager