Dive Brief:
- Neutrogena launched its first TikTok campaign this week (Sept. 14), looking to bring science-backed skincare to the social video app, per an announcement emailed to Marketing Dive. Developed with agency Movers+Shakers, "SkinU" takes an educational, classroom-style approach to skincare health and myths, and will appear on the brand's TikTok channel through the end of the year.
- SkinU's content is compiled from conversations between Neutrogena's resident scientists and select users on the video app. Until Sept. 3, fans were able to submit video applications to serve as brand ambassadors and win $5,000. Those selected will receive a virtual one-on-one lesson with Neutrogena scientists and will share their learnings on TikTok.
- Following the launch of a content studio in April, Neutrogena is extending the TikTok effort's reach by teaming with musicians Chloe x Halle — named brand ambassadors in March — as well as influencers Amy Chang and China McClain to help younger consumers cut through the skincare noise on social media.
Dive Insight:
Just months after opening a content studio dedicated to producing more in-depth programming around skincare, Neutrogena is taking the next step to reach a digital-savvy audience online. SkinU allows the beauty brand to integrate itself more seamlessly with relevant content, a move that can help Neutrogena break through ad clutter and share information that's entertaining and educational to viewers. Taking the series to a mainstream platform like TikTok will help the brand reach a wider net of potential audiences, extended further by teaming with creators, celebrities and influencers like Chloe x Halle.
Neutrogena has long focused on skin health, having released a short documentary "In The Sun" in April to showcase long-term effects of sun exposure, and in 2020, tweaked an artificial intelligence-powered tool that scans users' faces and offers personalized skincare tips. SkinU follows that with related skincare conversations between Neutrogena scientists and select fans, addressing skin tones and types, product ingredients and skincare myths popular online.
"TikTok has really democratized skincare information, yet there is still a lot of misinformation found online. We created 'SkinU' by Neutrogena as part of the brand's new purpose platform 'For People with Skin'," Lee Meyers, Neutrogena's senior director of marketing, said in the announcement. "We're connecting Gen Z with our incredible scientists, providing the information they need to distinguish fact from fiction."
To lead the brand's first dip into TikTok, Neutrogena enlisted creative agency Movers+Shakers earlier this year. The agency specializes in TikTok content and strategy, and has worked with brands including E.l.f. Cosmetics and Warner Bros. A music challenge inspired by E.l.f.'s company name — an acronym of "Eyes. Lips. Face." — prompted one of the most viral campaigns in TikTok history, spurring more than 5 million user-generated videos.
