Client – NIVEA
Markets – Brazil
Timing – 2015 – Present
Agencies/Vendors – FCB Brazil
Tech Word Cloud – UV-sensitive material, lead generation, public awareness, outdoor experience engagement
NIVEA created the world’s first UV-sensitive doll to educate children about the importance of sunscreen.
NIVEA knows that investing in education is the best way to heighten awareness of the importance of using sunscreen, but the biggest challenge is getting children on board. They needed to create a campaign for the Brazilian summer season to educate both parents and children about the benefits of skin protection that would actually get children to want to apply sunscreen.
NIVEA’s strategy was to teach kids about the importance of sunscreen in the way that they would understand best – playing. To do this, they created the NIVEA Doll, a UV-sensitive doll that turns red when exposed to the sun without proper protection. The goal was to create a method to get kids to willingly have sunscreen applied that was both educational and playful. The doll was given to mothers and children on four of the most popular beaches of Rio de Janeiro, and when its skin turned red in the sun, the kids could apply sunscreen to the doll to experience first-hand how sunscreen protects from sunburn.
To drive home the message in this campaign, NIVEA created a UV-sensitive doll. The material from which the doll is made quickly turns red when exposed to UV rays without sunscreen, and will turn back to its normal shade when sunscreen is applied. The effect is meant to mirror the way human skin reacts to sunlight when left unprotected to help children more easily understand the concept of sunburn.
The lead agency, FCB Brazil, partnered with a toy manufacturer and a 3D studio to help develop the custom doll just for NIVEA. The NIVEA Doll is the world’s first UV-sensitive toy ever produced.
The campaign was positively received by both parents and children. Children who played with the doll learned about the importance of sunscreen and the parents appreciated NIVEA’s efforts to reach out to their children. After a successful test launch, the NIVEA Doll was made available for sale in leading Brazilian stores in a promotional package for NIVEA’S Protect & Hydrate SPF 50.