“New & So You” is Shoppers Drug Mart’s latest experiential effort to promote its beauty selection, though it also brought products from other personal care categories along for the ride.
The event, a collaboration between the Citizen Relations’ experiential and PR teams to showcase the latest “health and beauty must-haves” from Shoppers Drug Mart, took over a former J.Crew storefront at Sherway Gardens Mall in Etobicoke at the end of February. But despite the pastel colours and makeup influencer-inspired decor, the beauty selection was paired with items not normally associated with beauty and skincare, like toothpaste, mouthwash and lotion. “New & So You,” offered samples of Colgate, Dove, John Frieda and Bioré products, as well as Instagram-friendly photo ops.
According to Maria Maynard, marketing director for personal care at Shoppers Drug Mart, “New & So You” was designed to highlight new launches in personal care, representing several categories including skin care, hair care, oral care and more. She tells strategy that Shoppers worked with over 35 brands to feature more than 50 products, ranging from fixtures like L’Oreal to an exclusive face care launch from Honest Beauty to the latest whitening toothpaste from Colgate.
In August, Shoppers ran Beauty Project campaign in downtown Toronto that included a pop up designed to generate interest in new looks in its makeup and skincare lines both in-store and online, as well as position its staffs as experts in the space, which it has been looking to get more competitive in beauty amidst the rise of online-only options that are gaining ground with consumers. But Maynard says “New & So You” is its biggest experiential campaign focused on product innovation to date, as Shoppers wanted a mixture of categories and products that could meet different needs, reflecting its consumer base’s desire for uniqueness and diversity of options. She says Shopper differentiates itself from other beauty and personal care retailers through the experiences it offers, but also its assortment and “always having something new to explore in-store or online.”
Upon leaving, guests went home with their very own bag of recommended products to try and add to their regular routine. Visitors were also encouraged to take a quiz, designed to recommend new products to consumers based on their personalized needs in skin, hair and oral care. The quiz is available online until March 20, when the online facet of the campaign ends. PC Optimum members got extra encouragement to try new products, through a VIP access event and extra point offers through the loyalty program.
Maynard says the Sherway Gardens store’s colour palette distinguishes its different promotions, adding that the brand has tried to stay consistent for the past few years in using a form of magenta as its primary colour to build recognition and equity with its programs. According to Maynard, “we know that bright colours draw attention in the aisles, and that is important as new product launches hit our shelves.” Throughout the space there was an assortment of curated activations, like handmade neon signs, a red ‘puckered lips’-shaped couch and an Instagram-worthy bubble bath. She says that these elements worked together to create an interactive space aligning with the campaign aesthetic and theme.
Maynard says 10,000 people passed through the Shoppers Drug Mart pop up during the nine-day event, exceeding its targets, and it got solid traction on social media.
