Everyone knows you wait until a new product hits retail before conducting a major launch campaign. And the fashion-conscious among us also know one never wears white after
Labor Day.
Procter & Gamble and Manning, Selvage & Lee's Chicago office broke both rules in 2000 when they launched Crest Whitestrips, a new over-the-counter tooth-whitening
product.
The OTC tooth-whitening market was in its infancy at that time, and none of the major oral hygiene brands had launched a product. But P&G had a feeling its competitors
would launch products soon, so execs decided to rush Whitestrips to market. The caveat - the product would initially be available only online and via a toll-free phone number.
The MS&L team was challenged to come up with a creative campaign that would break through the media clutter surrounding whitening products (mostly professional, dentist-
adminstered products at that point) and appeal to consumers who wouldn't be able to find the product at their local drugstore.
Can We Talk?
Research showed that about 61 percent of Americans were interested in whiter teeth, but less than 5 percent had had their teeth whitened because dental treatments were too
expensive and OTC products didn't live up to expectations.
MS&L began planning a campaign that would generate buzz about Whitestrips as a relatively inexpensive and highly effective product, as well as speak directly to the
consumer through grassroots efforts. The team identified key "influencer" groups to target with its grassroots programs: bridal consultants, salon and spa owners, and national and
local sorority leaders were considered image "experts" who would spread the word on the new product to key audiences.
The grassroots outreach distributed samples to the National Panhellenic Conference to reach sorority leaders, and to the Association of Bridal Consultant's annual conference in
order to reach bridal consultants. The team also sponsored a dinner banquet and presentation for the National Cosmetology Association.
Media targets would be fashion and beauty magazines, a new market for Crest, which is typically associated more with oral health than with image. The link to fashion: The
launch was set for mid-September and would break one of fashion's golden rules. The team dubbed the campaign "It's Okay to Wear White After Labor Day."
MS&L enlisted celebrity spokeswomen and fashion divas Joan and Melissa Rivers, who gave consumers the official "okay" to break the rule.
The health and beauty magazines generally have long lead times, so the team held a luncheon far in advance of the September launch to familiarize editors with Whitestrips and
offer product samples. MS&L also highlighted the results of the "Uppers Challenge," a component of the launch which showcased users who had used Whitestrips on their top teeth
and left the bottom teeth their original color.
A teaser campaign was launched in New York and Los Angeles with postcards sent to local market media and distributed to consumers at major shopping centers the day after Labor
Day. A giant billboard in Times Square featured Joan and Melissa telling Americans why it was now okay to wear white.
On launch day (Sept. 20), huge display booths drew thousands of consumers in New York and L.A. as Joan and Melissa handed out signed "permission slips" to wear white. Trained
greeters who had taken the "Uppers Challenge" worked the crowds, offering dollar-off coupons and other incentives for consumers to purchase the product that day.
Results
The measurement for this campaign broke the rules, as well. Instead of relying on the usual - and suspect - metrics of media impressions or Web site hits, the team was able to
distinguish sales on the Web site and through the toll free number that were due to PR efforts. Simple coding on promotions allowed MS&L to track PR-related purchases. P&G
attributes one-third of sales (about 75,000 kits) directly to public relations activities.
The campaign also garnered more than 240 million media impressions, with broadcast coverage on "Today" and Web and print coverage on iVillage and in Family Circle, Good
Housekeeping, Glamour, InStyle, Elle and Jane.
"In the thick of it, I might have said I wished we were at retail," says MS&L SVP Jeff Burnett. "I wouldn't say that now. There was a buzz built when it wasn't at retail
that helped springboard sales. There are some people who are never going to buy something online or through a toll-free number, but we had created awareness so that when it was in
stores, they went right out and bought a fairly expensive item ($39.99).
(Contact: Jeff Burnett, 312/861-5200)
Campaign Stats
Budget: $711,000, with about 25 percent devoted to grassroots efforts and the other 75 percent going to media outreach and fees for Joan and Melissa Rivers.
Team Members: Jeff Burnett, SVP; Gwen DeVries Cieslak, Account Group Supervisor; Aimee Jasculca, Director of Special Events; Dave Blumberg, Senior Account Executive; Betsy
Berger, Senior Account Executive; Lara Salazar, Account Executive; Matt Minella, Account Executive
Celebrity Clout
Celebrity spokespeople can wind up being a disappointment in many cases. But Burnett found a gem in the Rivers duo. "A lot of times it's somewhat of a challenge to get them to
deliver your message. But Joan was so powerful as a celebrity. She would go on an interview and the interviewer would want to talk about the Emmies or her QVC jewelry line, and
she would say, "No, I'm here to talk about Crest Whitestrips."
Burnett says it's important when choosing a celebrity to find someone who has the influence, the inclination and the guts to challenge a reporter when he or she goes off
topic.