Exploring the Vaseline Campaign Bringing Skincare to the Gaming Community

It’s fair to say that in today’s world, broadly speaking, people spend a lot of time staring at screens. Perhaps it’s for work – you spend much of the day staring at a monitor or two, running assorted programs and plugging numbers into spreadsheets, all with minimal downtime. Maybe it’s voluntary, and you’re someone who loves to spend those free moments outside of the job seeking the dopamine that comes with playing video games. Or, maybe you actually do both, and can’t quite seem to get enough.

Whatever the case may be, you’re probably being exposed to a good amount of blue light, which, according to this study by Unilever, might be scarier than you think. Specifically, 64% of people are entirely unaware of its effects, which isn’t ideal considering it has the potential to penetrate the skin at an even deeper level than UV rays.

With that in mind, Vaseline, Ogilvy Canada, and Ogilvy Singapore knew it was time to draw attention to this, and so they launched a brand new campaign to get the word out by targeting one of the most affected demographics: gamers. To do this, a brand new product called ‘Screen Block’ was created, which, much like sunscreen, is designed to negate the harmful effects of this given ray.

Then, to actually appeal to this group of 3.3 billion strong, the teams took to ‘Fortnite’, inserting ‘Screen Block’ into ‘Go Goated’ – one of the most popular pieces of user-generated content in the game – and launching with official in-game integration to boot. Moreover, the product itself was released in Thailand, which quickly generated local and international buzz – both about the dangers of blue light, but also the fact that if people already go to great lengths to care for their skin when going outside, why not do the same for the places where many spend even more time?

To learn more about how this came together, and what it took to actually connect with the demographic of gamers, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with Ogilvy Canada’s chief creative officer, Francesco Grandi, for a chat.

LBB> Tell us about the research guiding the campaign! How does blue light negatively affect the skin, and how did this translate to the creation of ‘Screen Block’?

Francesco> The negative effects of blue light exposure are worse than initially thought, and the majority of gamers are unaware of these impacts. A recent study from Unilever shows that blue light penetrates the skin far deeper than UV rays, and may lead to skin damage.

This is especially concerning for one-third of the 3.3 billion global gamers, who play nearly 40 hours per week. Some gamers use massive double or triple monitors, only 10-15 centimetres away from their faces, making them a highly exposed and at-risk community.

However, the risks are even higher for pro gamers, who spend almost all their waking hours playing. Some train 12-14 hours per day, five days a week. And that’s not counting monthly tournaments, which also require extensive screen time.

With that in mind, we wanted to make ‘Screen Block’ the solution. But first, we had to make the problem famous.

LBB> From here, what was the product development process like? How does ‘Screen Block’ work, and how did you ensure it would actually appeal to gamers?

Francesco> A key ingredient in ‘Screen Block’ is titanium dioxide, which creates a protective barrier for the skin. It also contains niacinamide and vitamin C to help protect against blue light and restore skin cells from oxidative stress.

To answer the second question, this was one of Vaseline’s first forays into the gaming world, so it was important to show up authentically. We wanted to show we understood gamers and gaming culture. This was about giving back to the community and adding value, not piggybacking off its popularity.

To ensure authenticity, we partnered with gamers throughout the entire process. As part of this, we approached UMI Games because of its extensive knowledge and expertise in building immersive experiences and connecting brands to creators. Aesthetically, we also took inspiration from the RGB colour model and game iconography, so that our bold visual identity would make protection look iconic, both in-game and out.

In turn, the gaming world responded. When we surprise-dropped ‘Screen Block’ on Twitch – the most popular streaming platform for gamers – a single, two-hour stream generated 125 days’ worth of pure engagement. We also officially partnered with Talon Esports, one of the biggest pro gaming organisations in the world. ‘Screen Block’ is now Talon’s first-ever skincare partner, protecting esports athletes from 13 teams on the world stage.

LBB> Notably, you worked with ‘Fortnite’ to achieve in-game integration. How did that all come together?

Francesco> When we first came up with ‘Screen Block’, the intent was always to seamlessly merge the physical and virtual worlds. We also never wanted to launch in a traditional way – we knew we had to meet gamers where they were, and we had to speak their language.

So, to educate gamers on the invisible enemy, we dropped into ‘Fortnite’, the world’s most-played game. It was about education, as much as it was about entertainment. We just had to make sure the educational bit was entertaining, or else no one would care.
A game trailer highlighting blue light as the ultimate villain drove gamers to the custom integration. In-game billboards prompted gamers to activate ‘Screen Block’ to protect their character’s ‘skin’ from blue light, while also reminding them to protect their real-life skin.

Ultimately, over 753,000 players activated ‘Screen Block’ on ‘Fortnite’, and 66.1 million total minutes were spent in the custom ‘Screen Block’ map.

LBB> The campaign spot which highlights this via in-game footage, as well as the PR film, are super fun! What did it take to bring this element to life?

Francesco> There’s a huge culture surrounding game trailers. Because of this, we didn’t just want to show gameplay footage – we wanted to tell a story. It was all about building hype and intrigue around the launch. So, we portrayed blue light as the ultimate evil villain, because the most dangerous enemy is the one you don’t know. Luckily, however, the most dangerous enemy was about to meet its match.

For this, we didn’t treat ‘Screen Block’ like a product; we approached it like a powerful and mighty gaming character. It had to show up in an iconic way. The trailer drove gamers to the custom ‘Screen Block’ map on ‘Fortnite’, which was live for over two weeks, in every part of the world.

Meanwhile, for the PR film, it was all about finding an angle that resonated and connected with gamers. That’s where the ‘skin’ connection came in. Gamers are obsessed with skins (an add-on that changes the appearance of their character). It’s a 50-billion-dollar industry, and some unique skins have sold for over one million dollars. However, we wanted to show gamers that the most valuable skin isn't the one they own in game – it’s their own.

LBB> The campaign launched in Thailand, but will be coming to other markets as well. Why was this the right starting point, and is it possible we’ll see it make its way to Canada?

Francesco> Working closely with our client partners, we chose Thailand as the initial launch market because of its first-adopter mindset and passionate gaming community of over 32 million strong.

We’re currently in talks to roll out ‘Screen Block’ in other markets. But first, we’ll take our learnings from the launch and see where we can optimise. Kudos to Unilever for never intending to launch a limited-edition product or one-off stunt. ‘Screen Block’ will stay on shelves, giving gamers the option to always protect their real-life skin.

LBB> What lessons have you learned from the making of this campaign?

Francesco> However fast you think you’re going, you can always go faster. This doesn’t mean rushing or sacrificing quality, but at the same time, the gaming world doesn’t wait for anybody. If you hesitate or overthink things, you’ll miss the moment.

Also, some brands like to launch with a tiny sample size. But that’s not the Unilever way. I’ve always loved our partnership because of our shared ambition. Much like us, its team never wants to do anything halfway. They are all about scale and impact. It’s about reaching as many people as possible and its products being seen and experienced by many.

LBB> Since launch, how have people responded to this campaign?

Francesco> It’s early days, but the campaign has been a huge success. We’ve had a tonne of gaming streamers, as well as agents of some of the biggest gamers in the world, reach out about partnership opportunities and samples. We’re currently in discussion with some very big names who we hope to partner with in phase two of the campaign.

Also, in a survey with hundreds of gaming streamers, 91% said they would integrate ‘Screen Block’ into their daily gaming routine. Meanwhile, the ‘Fortnite’ experience performed 13 times above the benchmark for engagement rate.

LBB> Finally, has making this campaign made you rethink the way you take care of your skin?

Francesco> Definitely. Avoiding the sun doesn’t necessarily make you safe. As we spend more time indoors and in front of screens, we should think about indoor skin protection the same way we think about outdoor protection. I’m glad we got to shine a light on something that was invisible for way too long.