Reversa

Dermtek's Reversa is a Canadian anti-aging beauty brand competing with global giants that have massive budgets for advertising and sampling, as well as highly trained sales forces. Reversa could not compete on that level, so Taxi took a different approach.

To get noticed in the fast-growing category, the agency decided not to follow the typical formula of featuring celebrities in double-page spreads and 30-second TV ads. To reach women over 40 who don’t believe that beauty is the exclusive domain of women in their twenties, Taxi strayed from the science to focus on the consumer social benefits. The most important insight? These women are vibrantly sexual.

The campaign launched with magazines and postcards that demonstrated the sex appeal of the mature woman. Classified ads in newspapers followed, submitted by younger men seeking older women. These efforts drove people to the cornerstone element: a microsite featuring four young men ready to perform for visitors. Upon entering the site, women were asked to choose from one of four Reversa products. Twelve short videos were created, featuring a firefighter, a chef, a plumber, etc. – all young, attractive and attentive. Women could also forward the site to friends, which helped create strong impact with a small media budget.

Additional campaign components included online banners, POS and a provocative viral tactic: an eBay auction of an anti-aging kit, complete with its own handsome young man. The auction was “won” by a female employee of Dermtek, and the proceeds were donated to the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation.

Sex, of course, sells. Reversa is growing at a pace four and half times that of the category, and sales were up in all key retail outlets. The microsite attracted more than 895,000 visits over an eight-month period. More than 100 blogs talked about the campaign, while more than 30 articles appeared in magazines and newspapers – and the spot also nabbed the lead story spot on one newscast. The campaign also picked up awards from the One Show and Cannes, where it won two Gold Cyber Lions.