Background: Aussie came to us in 2018 with a challenge. Despite some latent brand love and appreciation for what the brand had meant to people back in the day, they were now at a crossroads. Sales and penetration were in decline. What made the problem worse was that new products had flooded the market created by modern, fresher brands who somehow felt different.

So, we were called in to help fix the brand on two fronts: 1) with help launching products that genuinely mattered to our modern consumers (and the retailers they shopped in) and 2) with a brand that genuinely spoke to our audience The client essentially asked for something to rejuvenate the brand: “we’re looking for something bold, brave, and that makes us feel uncomfortable.

This is about waking up Aussie and is not about evolving current campaigns its about creating a revolution.” The resulting pitch process created a new equity driving idea: Great Hair Though. With Great Hair Though as a creative platform, we were then asked to develop a campaign to launch their upcoming, new product range – Calm the Frizz. With Australian Hemp Seed Extract, this breakthrough in haircare would deliver the innovation for Aussie that both consumers and retailers were looking for. Hemp seeds are considered to be a superfood with a rich nutritional profile and can provide a range of beauty benefits. Although Hemp seeds are being touted as a magical elixir across a host of different sectors we still had to break down the barriers to entry/initial hesitation from shoppers and communicate why this new range was the antidote to frizzy hair.

Rationale: Aussie is a brand with incredible heritage. Most people remembered their tongue in cheek, innuendo-laced long copy that dominated their advertising 10 or so years ago. And many had fond memories of the incredible smelling and deeply conditioning products that they used to buy. But there was a strong feeling that the brand had slipped away from the public eye. Despite doing some communication more recently - to keep the brand ticking over - no one actually remembered or recognised it. The brand had lost it’s ability to connect with the modern consumer on an emotional level – and the innuendo of yesteryear was hardly an appropriate thing to go back to in 2018/19. So our task became clear. While our clients were working on new news from a product perspective we had to look after the new news from a brand perspective. We had to create a fame driving campaign that would give Aussie back it’s, humour, it’s edge, it’s point of difference and ultimately, above all its customers. But how to reconnect with a market that was rapidly moving on? Well, for that we took to the research. And we found a number of fascinating things.

First, there was a macro trend towards honesty, authenticity and transparency that we knew we had to pay more than just lip service to to. People really didn’t buy into the old style claims that the hair care market had been peddling for years. No longer did they drink in all the claims like nourishing koolaid, now they demanded genuine truth. Efficacy had become king. We decided to be unbelievably clear and honest with our customers. Our products are great at fixing your messy hair (something that Aussie customers come to Aussie for) …but can’t do anything about fixing your messy lives. The open, laid back and often frank TOV came from our Aussie origin – we were happy to say it like it is. But crucially it was coupled with an understanding of our British female target audience’s predilection for gloriously self-deprecating humour. So with that the concept of Great Hair Though was born.

In short it was a creative construct that allowed us to talk about the brilliant effects our products and their unique ingredients have, followed up by a unique FML (F**k My Life) moment, and finally ending on Great Hair though. For example: Made with real macadamia nut, for smooth, conditioned hair…useless info when I’m locked out of my flat…great hair though. It simultaneously poked fun at the everyday mishaps while connecting with our audience on a far more honest, representative level. The campaign has run on a number of different channels including OOH, Print, Digital, DOOH and Reactive Print to name a few. And has seen a massive halt to the decline we had been facing for years.

The results: After the sales decline, the brand is now back in growth with the Calm the Frizz launch the main driver behind this. Plus, we’ve launched the best Aussie innovation on record.

Aussie Hemp - Calm The Frizz

CREDITS

Anna Gladwin

Dom Roe

Matt Waller

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