SUB CATEGORY :

USE OF GUERRILLA MARKETING & STUNTS

ENTRANT COMPANY :

MULLENLOWE SINGAPORE PTE. LTD., SINGAPORE

TITLE :

BALD SPOTS

BRAND :

CLEAR

ADVERTISER :

UNILEVER

AGENCY :

MULLENLOWE SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE/
MULLENLOWE ISTANBUL, ISTANBUL

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR :

SHENG JIN ANG/DANIEL KEE/TOMAS OSTIGLIA/NADIR AYDIN

CREATIVE DIRECTOR :

ANDREW HO

ART DIRECTOR :

CLAUDIUS KENG/PEARLYN CHANG

COPYWRITER :

ERNEST CHIN/ERNEST KOK

AGENCY PRODUCER :

JULIE CHUA/VISHANT TEJWANI/MUN WENG YONG

SENIOR EDITOR :

JENSEN CHENG

SENIOR GROWTH MANAGER :

KEVIN KOH

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR :

SUBARNA PRABHAKAR/GIZEM DÖRTLER

HEAD OF ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT :

CEYDA COSKUN

ACCOUNT MANAGER :

HWEE LING KOH/CEYDA OZTOPCU

STRATEGIC PLANNING DIRECTOR :

CLEEF CHONG

FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY :

DEPO FILM, ISTANBUL

DIRECTOR :

NURI YILMAZER

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY :

ERCAN KIRSIZ/ÖZKAN KARAGÖZ

GAFFER :

HÜSEYIN BOZKURT

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER :

MELISA DIVANOGLU

FILM PRODUCER :

SEZAN TANACAN/DENIZCAN ARSLAN

POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY :

DANDELION STUDIOS, SINGAPORE/
WISHING WELL ASIA, SINGAPORE

SOUND PRODUCTION COMPANY :

NEON SOUND, SINGAPORE

CAMPAIGN SUMMARY :

Launched on the streets of Istanbul, the hair transplant capital of the world, Bald Spots is a live guerrilla activation that turned heads – quite literally. Bald patches on men’s heads were turned into prime advertising real estate that advocated the importance of preventive scalp care with Clear Men Scalp Pro. Each bald spot featured a message that contextualised the bald pattern it sat on. These mobile billboards infiltrated spaces where men frequent, such as gyms, teas houses, etc. expanding the brand’s presence in unconventional locations. They demanded attention, offered real-time interactivity, answered questions and even gave samples to those who needed it most.

Clear, the world’s number 1 men’s shampoo brand, has built a strong reputation as the experts of scalp care for its effective anti-dandruff solutions. However, its Scalp Pro range, featuring a powerful anti-hairfall serum, remains relatively unknown. This gap in awareness presents an opportunity for Clear to expand its market presence to meet the increasing demand for comprehensive scalp care solutions.

Because Clear Men Scalp Pro aids in preventing hair loss, our task was to encourage all men to use it, not just those who are already far along in their balding journey. To achieve this, we needed a campaign that not only captures men's attention but also compels them to take proactive steps early on. Recognising the sensitivity surrounding hair loss, we adopted a lighthearted approach to address the topic with care, ensuring the message resonated without causing discomfort. Our objective was to enlighten and educate men on the importance of scalp care and increase sales of Clear Men Scalp Pro as the preventive solution for male pattern baldness.

CREATIVITY/IDEA/INSIGHT :

Men often overlook the importance of scalp care until all (hair) is lost, an issue that needed to be tackled head-on. That’s why Clear, the world’s number 1 men’s shampoo, pioneered an audacious outdoor medium by utilising the very thing it is fighting against – bald spots. Bald patches on men’s heads were transformed into ad spaces for Clear Men Scalp Pro, an anti-hair fall serum. Each bald spot featured a message that contextualised its specific state of baldness. The headlines were precisely designed to fit the unique contours of the bald patterns they sat on. These walking billboards were then unleashed onto the bustling streets of Istanbul, the hair transplant capital of the world. Not only did they capture the attention of men, they showcased the importance of preventive scalp care, and provided men with an effective solution.

STRATEGY :

Clear's existing research and on-the-ground insights revealed that 85% of men would experience male pattern balding by age 50, and they typically begin seeking treatments for balding only after experiencing significant hair loss. Clear recognised the need to engage all men directly, regardless of the severity of their balding, before it was too late. This meant moving away from traditional media that’s often overlooked to look for new forms of media that were impossible for men to ignore.

So, if men only showed concern about scalp care when personally impacted, the approach was to shift their attention to real-life examples that illustrated what could befall them should they not take preventive measures early on. However, given that male pattern baldness is a delicate matter for many, the strategy was to avoid fear tactics, and instead adopt a light-hearted approach to engage the audience in a positive and relatable manner.

EXECUTION :

A team of brave, bald men was assembled, each sporting their own unique balding pattern that was meticulously analysed and mapped out. Bespoke messages were then crafted to address the shape and degree of baldness they sat on. The headlines were individually designed to fit the contours of the bald spots, exactly.

The activation ran over two weekends and was strategically launched in Turkey, one of Clear’s biggest markets, and also the hair transplant capital of the world. The placement of these ads were also intentionally chosen. Apart from areas with high footfall, the ads were run in spaces often dominated by men, these include gyms, Turkish tea houses and even the shampoo aisle in supermarkets. Our bald billboards even gave out samples to any man who looked like they needed some help. To reach even more men globally, the entire activation was documented and turned into an online film.

RESULT :

The campaign led to the following results for Clear Turkey:
Shampoo market share increased by 147 bps (+11.4%) vs. pre-campaign month
Total hair market share increased by 93bps (+10.5%) vs. pre-campaign month
Leading Clear Turkey to the highest bps increase across all men hair care brands in Unilever.

The campaign also generated a 34% uptick in searches for Clear Men Scalp Pro on popular e-commerce sites and garnered over 16.2 million impressions online. But more importantly, it managed to kickstart conversations around the taboo topic of hair loss among men. After the launch, men with bald patterns of all shapes and sizes began speaking up online and reaching out to Clear, hilariously offering their bald spots for hire. In turn, Clear reacted quickly and responded to each of them with witty responses, and eventually issued a nationwide invitation for all bald men to submit photos of their bald spots for consideration. This indicated a shift in behaviour of men and how they approached the topic of balding, moving from self-consciousness and discomfort to a more open dialogue, achieving the intended objective.