Say Yes to Beautiful, Without Paying the Price

This blog entry was written by our fabulous intern, Lindsay Chronister. She’s an advertising student at UT Austin. She will be graduating this May and is a part of the Texas Media Sequence. And now, a bit about Suave.
 
Yes, we know the Suave campaign has been around for a while, but we’re talking about it anyway. Why? Because there are not a lot of campaigns like it. Why? We have no idea. It’s brilliant!
 
In 2007, Unilever’s Suave set out to find the answer to this question: Can motherhood and womanhood co-exist? Yes, but 84% of mothers have admitted to letting themselves go, yet 76% think it’s just as important that mothers take care of themselves as well as their families. Can you spot a discrepancy here? Suave spotted an opportunity.
 
In an Ad Age article Gigi Caroll says “I’m a mother, not a moron.” There are no perfect moms and moms are tired of being portrayed as such. She says moms want “a dose of reality.” Suave offers this in their campaign. In the Suave anthem commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3dxavCZ84k&feature=fvw) a woman is featured as she progresses through dating, engagement, getting married and having kids. It features her in all the chaos of being a mom and shows how this can affect her hair and ultimately, how she feels as a woman. The commercial is humorous and full of truth. Here’s the best part…
 
-93% of moms said they feel good when they take care of themselves
-76% feel happier and more attractive
-60% feel more feminine
-Over 50% feel they are setting a good example for their children
 
Here’s what Jennifer, a mommy blogger had to say…
“Maybe it’s a bit simplistic to think that simply washing my hair with a Suave shampoo is going to help the woman in me come out, especially since I spend the vast majority of my days covered in spit-up. However, the fact that this ad campaign speaks to the fact that I deserve more than daily laundry and tantrum control, leaves me wanting to hi-five the ad executives who realized this often overlooked fact. Since hi-fives are unlikely, I’ll just continue to buy my Suave Sleek Shampoo, Conditioner, and Smoothing Liqui-Gel.”
 
We love the Suave campaign because we can totally relate. What so many marketers miss every day is that moms (and all consumers, ahem, people) are not just another demographic. They have real lives and real problems and real needs. Are you addressing them?
 
In our recent research, we found that women feel the best thing a company can do for them is solve a problem. That’s why women love the Suave campaign. Suave acknowledges the hectic life of a mother and her common budget constraints and solves the problem with affordable hair care solutions that can make her feel beautiful without feeling guilty about it. Perfection!