NIVEA Introduces Mr. Sun to Bust British Myths on Sun Safety

Today, FCB Inferno launches a fun new campaign for NIVEA SUN, in partnership with Cancer Research UK, to encourage the British public to start being safe in the sun, including wearing sunscreen while at home in the UK.

With 53% of people claiming they've burnt in the UK, a third of people do not apply sunscreen. It's clearly not an ingrained habit amongst Brits. One of the key reasons for this is simple – Brits don't believe the sun in the UK warrants the same respect as the sun abroad. This belief is compounded by a number of widely accepted myths – including that you can't burn through cloud and the sun is different from that abroad.

To grab the attention of the audience the agency has created a droll new character, Mr. Sun, who busts these myths.

In the two quintessentially British films, Mr. Sun's baffled reaction to people's misplaced beliefs is the catalyst to rethink their behaviour. A three-step reminder to seek shade, cover up and apply sunscreen finishes off the films with the tagline "Have more fun with the sun," encouraging Brits to enjoy the sun safely. 

The film will be on TV and VOD from April 15th as well as dynamic outdoor advertising that will show live location data to reiterate that sun protection is needed at home, as well as abroad.

The films are directed by Mike Maguire and produced by Outsider. Mike is best known for his short comedy films and work for brands including IKEA and GoDaddy. Mr. Sun's character was created by award-winning VFX company Framestore and has music by The Futures.

The campaign heralds a tonal shift for NIVEA SUN. Patrick Albrecht, marketing director of Northern Europe said: "Brits tend to believe that the sun is stronger when they're on holiday than it is at home behind clouds. Therefore, we needed an attention-grabbing campaign that stands out from the traditional norm of families on the beach, in order to help create a new daily habit."

Sharon Jiggins, executive vice president, FCB Inferno said: "The campaign is all about driving behaviour change. Our creative research showed that Brits were behaving responsibly when on holiday abroad, yet underestimating the British Sun. In a step-change from the category norm, NIVEA SUN together with Cancer Research UK, want to point out our mistakes in a humorous but also very memorable way!"

Jordi Bares, creative director, Framestore added: "We were briefed to create a new character that would resonate with kids and adults alike. To create Mr. Sun from scratch was an epic challenge and we rose to the occasion by creating a loveable character Brits can celebrate their love of summer with, who can also deliver the important message of the campaign.”