CeraVe takes on soap operas in new genre-spoofing campaign

Dive Brief:

• CeraVe gets melodramatic in a new campaign for its Hydrating Facial Cleanser that launches today (July 15) and includes video, influencer marketing and a mobile tour with a focus on skincare education, according to materials provided to Marketing Dive.
• The two-minute-plus “Cleanse Like a Derm” video features actress Xochitl Gomez in a storyline filled with soap opera cliches — think overacting, frosted lenses and doppelgangers — and a plot centered around a family whose CeraVe has been replaced by bar soap. Media placements include digital, social and streaming platforms.
• Hot off the heels of winning big at Cannes, the L’Oreal brand continues to take creative swings. For its latest effort, it has partnered with 30 influencers who will create soap opera-worthy content and is kicking off a mobile tour with stops in New York, Chicago, Nashville and Atlanta that will include games, photo ops and expert advice.

Dive Insight:

Earlier this year, CeraVe tapped into the tropes of the rom-com to tout its products. This time around, it’s leaning on the soap opera to handle the dirty work. Soap operas have been losing viewers for years, but their appeal for younger consumers is growing, according to the brand. Either way, they remain a form of entertainment that pop culture fans love to make fun of, giving CeraVe an opportunity to engage Gen Z consumers with a humorous take on the melodrama the format is known for while educating them about facial cleansing routines.

“By partnering with talented individuals like board-certified dermatologist Dr. Dustin Portela and Xochitl Gomez, we can effectively reach a Gen Z audience and teach them how to cleanse like a dermatologist, all while maintaining the signature CeraVe humor that resonates with our audience,” said Melanie Vidal, CeraVe global general manager, in a statement.

The campaign was inspired by company research indicating a need for dermatologist skincare-expert education about proper cleansing routines, per the brand. According to CeraVe’s research, 43% of consumers say they use traditional soap for facial cleansing. Additionally, 77% have cleansing habits that would not please a dermatologist.

The video, developed by agency 72andSunny in Los Angeles and directed by Milana Vayntrub (best known as Lily from the AT&T commercials), depicts Gomez as Xochitl Cleansington, a well-to-do heiress who wakes up one day to find her house has been cleared out of CeraVe cleanser. Her father and mother reveal they have gone to extremes — using bar soap and sleeping with their makeup on — causing an extreme fainting reaction for Cleansington. When she comes to, the family discovers the CeraVe cleanser was stolen by the family dermatologist’s evil twin (played by dermatologist and social media influencer Portela).

The influencers enlisted by the brand will create content reinforcing the messaging about using appropriate facial cleansers while the mobile tour will feature dermatologists Dr. Kunal Malik and Dr. Maren Locke providing expert advice as well as free samples and other swag.

CeraVe has been generating a lot of attention for its marketing over the past few months. Last month, the brand picked up the Grand Prix in the Social & Influencer category, as well as three golds, two silvers and three bronzes in other categories, for its “Michael CeraVe” ad that launched during the Super Bowl.