WINNER: T&Pm - This is ME45
When flagship brands see their relevance declining against younger competitors, they come to a critical crossroads: plough on regardless or change tactics. Both options are fraught with risks, but by putting diversity and inclusion at the heart of its refresh, Kara Healthcare-owned E45 dramatically turned its fortunes around.
A 70-year-old skincare brand, E45 turned to T&Pm after it had lost its market leadership position. It wanted to reconnect with a younger audience without alienating its existing base, and WPP’s campaign showcased the skincare routines of trans women. Launched across Meta to amplify TV activity, it achieved a 77% uplift in ad awareness and won the Diversity in Advertising award at the first-ever Meta Agency Awards, in partnership with ±±¾©Èü³µpk10 and Performance Marketing World.
This is how T&Pm and E45 put authenticity at the centre of its campaign.
The partnership: campaign background
On a mission to “make your skin feel comfortable, so you can feel more comfortable in your skin,” E45 and T&Pm uncovered an insight: no one feels more uncomfortable in their skin than someone assigned a gender they don’t identify with. This led to a revelation that those navigating gender affirmation faced overlooked challenges, which could be treated with E45.
The primary goal was to drive brand relevance and consideration among skincare consumers aged between 18 and 34 by showing E45 as a brand for everybody and sparking a conversation about the importance of feeling comfortable in your skin. The “This is My Space, This is ME45” campaign was born, with the social aspect fostering deeper connections with allies of the trans community with inclusive content delivered within the personal online spaces of Facebook and Instagram newsfeeds and Reels.
The approach: campaign execution
The campaign partnered with trans influencers who shared their authentic skin stories and tips for feeling more comfortable in their skin. The campaign utilised audiovisual storytelling to inject authentic experiences of skin discomfort into shared media moments to build greater empathy towards trans people. T&Pm's audience research identified people most likely to be allies of the trans community, which it used within its Meta targeting, alongside Advantage+, which leverages Meta’s automated solutions to optimise ad delivery and maximise campaign effectiveness.
By being authentic, T&Pm’s innovative approach helped to reposition E45 as a brand that stands for something relevant, meaningful, and distinctive, helping everybody feel more comfortable in their skin.
The results: campaign success
As well as creating positive social sentiment, the campaign succeeded across brand awareness, search and intent:
- +77% ad awareness
- +28% purchase intent
- +57% branded search
Additionally, brand consideration increased by:
- 4% among adults
- 6% among skin condition sufferers
- 17% among 18-34 year olds
As a result, E45 saw a 4.3% increase in total value sales in pharmacy and retail and growth of 82.7% on Amazon, compared to the same period in 2022.
“We know Meta can give us one of the largest reaches of any social platform so if we can capitalise on that, we will,” said Jonny Mansoor, paid social director at T&Pm. “Meta played a key part - a pivotal role - in ensuring we met a very large audience in a cost-efficient way.”
The awards judges said:
“The E45 campaign exemplifies diversity in advertising by authentically representing the trans community, a group often overlooked by skincare brands. By showcasing the skincare routines of trans women and partnering with trans influencers, the campaign fostered inclusivity and sparked important conversations about identity and comfort.
“This approach led to significant increases in ad awareness and purchase intent, successfully repositioning E45 as a brand that champions inclusivity and relevance, while delivering strong business results.”