When Chesebrough Ponds determined last year to inject new life into the tried-and-true but somewhat dusty Vaseline Petroleum Jelly brand, it chose a celebrity-themed PR campaign with a philanthropic twist.
The Cairns & Associates campaign, "Celebrity Skin Care Secrets," illustrates the powerful reach of a PR campaign on a comparatively modest budget. The goal was to bring new notoriety to the brand and in doing so, increase brand awareness and usage through marketing and PR. Although marketing was the primary vehicle, what was created was an image booster for the product - the kind of PR that has longterm benefits.
Chesebrough Ponds' entire ad/promotional/PR budget for Vaseline Petroleum Jelly was $750,000 last year and it was devoted entirely to Cairns' campaign, which features high-profile supermodels, athletes, politicians and other celebs.
To date, the campaign has garnered more than 280 million consumer impressions, with an advertising equivalency value of more than $1 million. And, the brand reports a 7% overall sales increase.
"We surpassed our annual sales objectives by 16% and exceeded our profit goals by over 30%," says Jeff Burress, brand manager, Vaseline Petroleum Jelly, Chesebrough Ponds.
"Whereas an advertising agency was only able to offer two full-page advertorials for the same budget, Cairns & Associates was able to provide Chesebrough Ponds with a comprehensive campaign that has extended far beyond the impact of a single [ad] or event," says Donna Fontana, senior VP, health and beauty division, Cairns & Associates.
Celebrities Drive PR Campaign
Cairns blended a celebrity-driven campaign with a carefully selected marketing partner, Cancer Care Inc., an organization that provides support and help to people with cancer, and their families.
Women are the primary users of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly and they comprise 80% of caregivers, ensuring a synergy between the two organizations.
Cairns created a 16-page booklet, "The Best Kept Celebrity Skin Care Secrets," to drive the campaign launched last September. The firm solicited testimonials about Vaseline by naming fashion designer Adrienne Vittadini as Cancer Care's honorary chair. It then wrote to more than 600 celebrities enlisting their support and then used beauty secrets from 36 celebs.
The booklet features photos of female models, celebrities, fashion designers, make-up experts, politicians, athletes and actresses and their comments describing the role of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly in their personal beauty regimens. The booklet is available for free to consumers through a toll-free hotline and comes with a product coupon. So far, the campaign has received 26,000 consumer requests.
On the inside front cover the booklet describes Chesebrough Ponds' association with Cancer Care, Inc., noting that "in return for these celebrity skin care secrets," Chesebrough donated $50,000 to the cancer non-profit organization at a kick-off event in New York.
Cancer Care continues to receive donations and inquiries for information generated by the booklet's distribution while Chesebrough Ponds continues to surpass its objectives. According to Cairns, an additional 600,000 brochures will be printed to use in an ongoing initiative including direct mail and free standing inserts, and the concept is slated to be implemented internationally. (Signe Soules, Jamie Grayson, Donna Fortuna, Cairns, 212/421-9770; Jeff Burress, Chesebrough-Ponds, 203/661-2000)
Cairns & Associates
- Headquarters: New York, NY
- Employees: 50+
- Founded: 1983
- 1997 Billings: $4.4 million
Media Impact
It was the combination of celebrities and causes, plus the campaign's appeal to the products' target market of women ages 25-44 with families, that attracted the media and offered it a diverse range of story hooks for Vaseline Petroleum Jelly.
Cairns employed a satellite media tour in September 1997 in 17 major markets starring supermodel Rachel Hunter and distributed a video news release.
"I think the media is forever interested in what celebrities are saying, and that enticed them," says Signe Soules, associate VP, Cairns & Associates. "Also, the value-added aspect that gave consumers access to celebrities' skin care secrets by calling a toll-free number [was appealing]. I don't think we could have had one without the other and seen the success we did."
"The Celebrity Skin Care Program has directly contributed to the success of our brand this year, and we continue to receive coverage [several] months after its initial kick-off," adds Jeff Burress, brand manager, Vaseline Petroleum Jelly, Chesebrough Ponds. The "Celebrity Skin Care Secrets" campaign secured coverage in:
- Newsweek
- Los Angeles Daily News
- Redbook
- Chicago Sun Times & Tribune
- Allure
- Philadelphia Daily
- Family Circle
- San Francisco Examiner
- New York Post