Winner: Kaplow Drives Conair's Most Successful Product Launch of All Time
Kaplow’s launch of the Curl Secret generated so much consumer excitement that the product sold out at retailers across the U.S. before the first ad appeared. Almost a year after its launch, the buzz continues and Conair executives described it as the company’s most successful product launch of all time.
Curl Secret was a totally new way for women to curl their hair. Kaplow knew that, while intrigued by the device’s promise of delivering perfect curls with ease, consumers might be fearful of the never-before-seen automated curling mechanism that draws hair into an enclosed barrel. Their media relations launch plan was designed to simultaneously generate awareness of the device and educate consumers on its proper usage and safety features. It included experiential events and one-on-one tutorials for media, influencers and consumers.
Kaplow secured unprecedented media coverage, totaling more than 1 billion media impressions, with exceptional pull-through of Conair’s key messages and product demonstrations. These extensive third party endorsements built trust with consumers and drove trials of the product. The team scored a six-minute standalone segment and demonstration of the Curl Secret on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. National broadcast segments appeared on Good Morning America, the Rachel Ray Show, The View, The Talk and The Wendy Williams Show. Features were also placed in People, Real Simple, InStyle, Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Allure also named the product the “Beauty Breakthrough of the Year.”
Honorable Mentions
- Archer Malmo Public Relations - Selling a New Product Through Organic Storytelling
- Blonde 2.0 – Yo: the one word campaign
- Cohn & Wolfe - The Future is Now: Launching a Game-Changing Helmet
- Fuse, LLC for Black Box Wines / Constellation Brands Inc. - Lose the bottle
- Hawkins International Public Relations - La Compagnie
- Weber Shandwick – Better Sleep for the Holidays: Launching the S+ by ResMed