Objectives
Kao Brands Europe Ltd wished to increase consumer knowledge of the Bioré skincare range, traditionally best-known for its nose strips.

Their objective was to educate consumers about the full range of products Bioré offers, whilst increasing consumers' repertoires and encouraging trial.

They wished to target ABC1Women aged 18-35. This age group is seeking to upgrade from the more teen-focused medicated skincare ranges. They were also keen to associate with ‘fun’ and comedy.

Solution
Bioré’s agency ZenithOptimedia recommended an association with Will & Grace, the Emmy award winning comedy. Will & Grace consistently appears in LIVINGtv’s top 20 programmes and is one of the channel’s best-known brands.

The nine month sponsorship reached 10.5 million individuals and 42.5% of all women aged 16-34 in multichannel homes.

Various creative treatments were produced to showcase the Bioré range, from Warming and Ice Cleansers to Deep Pore Nose Strips.

Voice-over prompts were used in the creative work to boost recall of the individual product lines.

Research
To measure the success of the activity, a pre, mid and post-campaign awareness study was conducted by an independent research agency.

A sample of female LIVINGtv viewers aged 16-44 were interviewed by telephone.

Brand awareness
Bioré was the second most spontaneously recalled skincare brand among those who saw the sponsorship. The number of respondents spontaneously naming Bioré ahead of any other brand increased by +40% between the mid and post-campaign research, implying that the sponsorship made Bioré a ‘top-of-mind’ brand.

Bioré received more ‘first mentions’ than any other brand in its competitive set, despite spending less than half as much on advertising and sponsorship as some of those brands.

Prompted recall increased by +74% between the pre and post-stages.

Awareness of the individual product lines within the Bioré range was significantly higher among those who had seen the sponsorship than those who had not. 90% of respondents who had seen the sponsorship were aware of Bioré Deep Pore Nose Strips.

Sponsorship awareness
At the final stage, a total of 42% of those questioned recalled seeing the Bioré sponsorship on LIVINGtv.

Viewers found the credits ‘stylish’, ‘entertaining’ and ‘a good fit with Will & Grace’.

Brand perception
Brand perceptions saw positive gains over the three waves. However, the most significant differences are seen between those who saw the sponsorship and those who did not.

Bioré was perceived to be effective and, in line with the campaign objectives, was perceived to have a wide range of products. The statement “Bioré is a trusted brand” saw a +24% increase from the pre-campaign stage.

Those aware of the sponsorship were more likely to say they would try, or continue to buy, Bioré products.

"Bioré’s brand essence is as spirited as the characters in Will & Grace, and the young upmarket audience is our precise target, so it was a perfect fit. The results prove that. And not only did it work but ids were also a pleasure to work with too!"
Leone Ashby, Skincare Brand Manager, Kao Brands Europe Ltd