Nivea wanted to establish a reputation as an expert in hair care. They started an annual event where 60 women could win a makeover by a celebrity hair stylist. We were asked to transform this event into a year-long campaign.
We built a Hair Academy website where girls could apply for a makeover via webcam video. We simply asked them to share their best tips and tricks and whoever got the most upvotes got invited. This ensured we would get the girls most passionate about hair and fashion.
The actual makeovers by the celebrity stylist were filmed by us and posted to the Hair Academy website. The aim was to build a huge database of neat style tips and tricks that girls would start consulting whenever thinking about new hair styles to try out.
We offered girls the chance to talk to a charming, funny and competent hair stylist via webcam. This worked just like a call-in show: everyone could watch but only one person got to talk to him at once.
The stylist was available to assist girls live every friday and saturday night. Girls simply went to our facebook group or the website, asked him a question or watched as he chatted with other girls about hair, makeup and fashion. We used this extensively to highlight new products and heavily cross-promoted the chats with fashion magazines all over Europe.
The Hunk Recommendations were intended for girls who wanted to hear what a really hot guy thought of their new hair. Girls would choose if they wanted to hear from a surfer, singer, fireman or seven other hot guys. Then they would record a brief video with their webcam in which they'd show off their new hair. A personal video response from the chosen hunk would arrive within a few hours.
Our Hair Simulator iPhone App allowed girls to superimpose different hair colors and styles over a photo of their own faces. Once they decided on a style, the app would recommend applicable Nivea Hair Care products and display the appropriate Hair Academy How-To video. We even provided directions to the nearest retailer and a coupon valid for same-day purchases.
For anyone without an iPhone we installed 360° Photobooths at fashion shows and summer concerts. Four cameras would take pictures of you from all sides and just like with the iPhone app you could superimpose different hairstyles. The girls could choose one hairstyle and instantly get a printout to show their friends. A code on the back would allow them to later retrieve hi-resolution photos via a branded facebook app.