CoverGirl

SILVER — COVERGIRL
“Going to Great Lengths”

Entrant Company: Starcom MediaVest Group
 
Category: A Local execution of a Multinational campaign

Credits:

The Situation: All three of COVERGIRL’s major competitors were launching mascara innovation in the Winter/Spring of 2010 and COVERGIRL needed to combat their launch plans to defend their position.

Insight and Strategic Approach: COVERGIRL’s prime prospect is young women (15-34) who are always on-the-go, heavy users of make-up – although they seek a natural look and are always looking for the next make-up innovation.  The target better connects to messaging when in the mind-set of looking her best – such as on the way to work or going out with friends.  

With the creative agency, we agreed the consumer connection to celebrity endorsement (that was proven to lift brand performance) needed to be magnified and we believed dramatic ownership of color would strengthen our competitive position. 

Subway use in Toronto and Montreal suited this opportunity and it didn’t hurt that she is three times more likely to use transit than your average young female.
 
Media Tactics: In addition to the base NA/Global Drew Barrymore campaign of television and print, we layered on a buzz worthy initiative in the two most important ‘mascara war’ markets – Toronto and Montreal.  Our target desired ‘lash transformation’ and we transformed her transportation of choice to create the customization she seeks.

We magnified COVERGIRL’s unique yellow color platform and promised lash length everywhere she went on the subway.  We greeted her originally – at subway entrances with turnstiles turned into iconic COVERGIRL yellow wands and space surrounding these turnstiles was purchased where it wasn’t for sale. No easy feat, considering the Transit Authority rarely approves new advertising units. In fact, our supplier had to take different levels of bureaucracy through a prototype BEFORE we could get approval.  Lash extensions were dramatically extended from boards throughout the system and subway interior door surrounds cautioned consumers that their long lashes might get caught between the doors.

How this Campaign may be a Template for World Class Standards   The solution was simple in that we focused on locally bringing the product benefit and color platform to life within relevant consumer spaces. As these were unique and ownable properties of COVERGIRL we were able to stand out from our competitors within the cluttered cosmetics category.


Results:

Third party research by The Research House Inc. showed we connected with our target.  COVERGIRL Lashblast Length achieved competitive advantage on each important metric:·