Arrivals + Departures (A+D) is the new agency face of Oxy Acne Care.
A+D won the remit after a formal search and is mandated to help reignite the 50-year-old youth brand to grow its market share across key Canadian, American and Latin American markets.
“We were looking for a full-service partner who could help us evolve from just being a legacy brand to being a leading acne care brand known for proven efficacy, and still highly relatable to today’s youth audience,” says Stacie Misener, Oxy Acne Care Americas lead at The Mentholatum Company.
A+D’s president Mike Bevacqua tells strategy the business will be managed by its existing team.
“Our team is completely engaged with our Oxy partners in an integrated, full-funnel model, including strategy, design, creative, production and media across key countries,” says Zeeshan Hussain, VP business director at A+D. “It’s rare to get the opportunity to modernize every aspect of a well-known Gen X brand to truly resonate with Gen Z.”
A+D has been working with Oxy Americas’ marketing team on the brand’s strategic positioning, including conducting first-party research with young acne sufferers to improve both brand and packaging efforts.
The first initiative was to develop a new brand identity, which resulted in new packaging for Oxy’s entire portfolio. That rollout will begin in the coming months across North America. Canadian retail partners include Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaw and Metro.
Kimberley Pereira, design creative director at A+D, says when trying to reconnect a brand to a new generation – especially teens and younger adults – it’s critical to combine current trends with enduring brand elements.
“We meticulously designed the new visual identity and packaging based on our deep insights of Gen Z tastes, attitudes and trends to develop something that could give the brand consistency, impact and flexibility over the next few years,” Pereira says.
