Vaseline: MENDED MURALS
Vaseline needed to deepen its commitment to skin health equity for people of color, addressing misdiagnosis and mortality rates. The goal was to connect with these communities authentically, providing vital health resources and information, thereby reinforcing Vaseline's dedication to inclusive skin care.
Creative Idea
Restored community murals became QR-coded portals to vital skin health resources.
Vaseline restored community murals, using them as a visual metaphor for skin health in people of color, embedding QR codes to connect communities to vital skin health resources and information via SeeMySkin.com, thereby linking art restoration to health equity.
Healing the Canvas to Heal the Community
The Metaphor of Neglect
The creative team at VML Sydney and VML New York identified a striking visual parallel: murals in Black and Brown neighborhoods were often left to peel, crack, and fade - mirroring the systemic medical neglect faced by the people living in those same communities. Chief Creative Officer João Braga noted that these artworks "flake just like the skin of the people represented by them." This observation transformed traditional out-of-home advertising into a "utility" campaign, where the restoration of public art served as a direct delivery system for dermatological care.
Bridging the Dermatology Gap
The initiative targeted a stark "Dermatology Gap" where only 3% of U.S. dermatologists are Black, contributing to a 25% higher mortality rate for skin cancer among people of color due to late-stage diagnosis. In cities like Hartford and Baltimore, research revealed areas with zero Black dermatologists. To combat this, Vaseline integrated QR codes into the restored murals by artists Ernest Shaw Jr., Robert Vargas, and Cory Pane. These codes linked residents to SeeMySkin.com, a platform for finding skin-of-color-trained specialists.
Tangible Health Outcomes
The campaign achieved over 290 million impressions with nearly zero paid media spend. More importantly, it drove a 320% increase in traffic to the *SeeMySkin* platform. Beyond digital engagement, the brand donated $250,000 to local clinics, resulting in the direct treatment of over 160 patients and the training of 50+ volunteers in basic dermatology screenings. The launch was further amplified at SXSW 2024, where journalist Elaine Welteroth and Dr. Adewole Adamson advocated for representation in medical imagery.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Vaseline, a trusted skin health brand, had the resources and commitment to fund mural restorations and skin health initiatives.
Category
Personal care brands often focus on superficial beauty or individual product benefits, rarely addressing systemic health disparities.
Customer
Communities of color desired recognition of their cultural beauty and access to equitable, relevant skin health information and care.
Culture
A growing cultural awareness of systemic health inequities and the power of community art made the campaign resonate deeply.
Company
Vaseline, a trusted skin health brand, had the resources and commitment to fund mural restorations and skin health initiatives.
Category
Personal care brands often focus on superficial beauty or individual product benefits, rarely addressing systemic health disparities.
Strategy:
Leverage cultural symbols to address systemic health disparities and provide tangible community support.
Customer
Communities of color desired recognition of their cultural beauty and access to equitable, relevant skin health information and care.
Culture
A growing cultural awareness of systemic health inequities and the power of community art made the campaign resonate deeply.
Strategy:
Leverage cultural symbols to address systemic health disparities and provide tangible community support.
Strategy Technique
Make the Brand the Hero of a Bigger Fight
Vaseline positioned itself as a champion for skin health equity, addressing misdiagnosis and mortality rates in communities of color. The campaign actively provided resources, turning brand values into tangible action.
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Creative Technique
Analogy for the Solution
The campaign uses restored murals as a powerful visual analogy for protecting and healing skin, particularly for people of color. The murals also serve as a direct conduit for health resources, embodying the solution.
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Craft Breakdown
This campaign's craft is exceptional in its profound art direction, seamlessly merging cultural preservation with vital health messaging through art, made actionable by integrated digital tools and strategic community presence.
The careful selection and beautiful restoration of culturally significant murals by their original artists, along with the thoughtful integration of QR codes, creates powerful visual assets that embody the campaign's message.
The seamless functionality of the embedded QR codes within the physical murals and the user experience of the SeeMySkin.com platform effectively provide actionable local skin health resources, bridging art with digital utility.
The campaign's magic comes from the synergistic combination of its brilliant core idea brought to life through impactful art direction, made accessible via strong digital craft and strategically deployed through effective media planning.
