Head & Shoulders
Transforming the Head & Shoulders brand image
Challenge
- Transform Head & Shoulders from “leading dandruff shampoo” to beauty essential
Insights
- Perception of Head & Shoulders: harsh, medicinal, mostly for men and embarrassing
- Beauty association, consumer trial change perceptions and overcome barriers
Strategies
- Move from medicine to beauty
- Link to trend-setting, beauty-involved women via blind trial of Cosmopolitan readers who declared H&S gave them “head-turning hair”
- Foundation for integrated “Head-Turning Hair” ad campaign
- Show how beautiful hair starts with scalp
- Position zinc as new beauty ingredient
- Move H&S into pop culture status via Ellen DeGeneres initiative
- Link to trend-setting, beauty-involved women via blind trial of Cosmopolitan readers who declared H&S gave them “head-turning hair”
- Integrate PR through all marketing disciplines
Success
- Head & Shoulders now No. 1 shampoo in world, embraced by women, as well as men
- Beauty image versus therapeutic solution to a taboo problem
- PR campaigns tied to retailer receptivity, sales
- P&G cited Ellen DeGeneres initiative as “best example of product integration ever”
