2013 Silver Best Digital Destination

Client Johnson's Baby

How did the campaign make a difference? Johnson's Baby Bedtime range was under threat, so this campaign showed that Johnsons truly understood the impact of sleepless nights. Profound insights inspired truly engaging creativity that resonated across multiple touchpoints. Over 70,000 parents took the online test, helping reverse a decline in Johnson's Baby Bedtime sales, creating 5% sales growth.

What details of the strategy make this a winning entry? Johnson's Baby Bedtime range is clinically proven to help babies sleep through the night. But cheaper competitor products, such as Cussons' Sleep Tight and Tesco's Baby & Toddler Bedtime range were cutting in. This campaign had to re-engage parents and make the products relevant to modern mums. Rigorous qualitative research, including co-creation workshops, explored the loneliness of those early hours when the baby won't settle... anxiety about sleep deprivation... battling with yawns all day and the sense of being hopelessly jaded: 77% of new parents were severely sleep deprived. Other brands spoke of the efficacy of their solution for the baby; this campaign showed Johnson's understood the problem for the parent, with a completely new term: Babylag. This disruptive idea cut through the sea of 'mum and baby' messaging and spoke in a language they instantly understood, offering online access to Doctor Banerjee, a noted sleep expert at one of the largest sleep units in the UK, and introducing parents to the Johnson's three-step bedtime routine.

How did creativity bring the strategy to life? The campaign reached out to parents on the sites they turn to for babycare advice. Online ads featuring sheep jumping over gates reminded them of the sleep they'd missed. Carefully targeted email spread the message further, asking, 'How babylagged are you?' Respondents could take the Babylag Test on their computer or device. Three interactive games measured reaction times, powers of concentration and memory. Participants could share their results with others. Babylag gave people permission to discuss how they felt and relate to fellow sufferers across the Twittersphere. The campaign idea was introduced to a broader audience with press ads and digital posters. The PR team created a faux newspaper, The Tired Times. They even developed street theatre with dozing mums and dads strategically placed at bus stops and inside shopping malls.

Results This was the most successful digital campaign ever for Johnson's Baby Bedtime range. Over 70,000 parents took the online test and email open rates exceeded the benchmark by 50%. Measuring sales, a long term gradual decline of the brand was reversed. Sales of Johnson's Baby Bedtime Bath grew by 6%.