Situation: New skin cancer cases were rising at an alarming pace, with more than 9,500 Americans being diagnosed daily, making skin cancer the most common cancer, but also the most preventable. Despite this, sunscreen sales were on the decline and only 10% of consumers in the US used sunscreen daily.

Brief: The brand sought to raise awareness about the risk of skin cancer, the importance of sunscreen use, as well as the critical need to have skin checks for early detection, regardless of age or skin tone, and dispel the common misinformation about risks of sun damage, especially for people of color.

Objectives: To drive measurable change in numbers of preventable skin cancers and grow the sunscreen category. Note that the brand did not intend to grow Neutrogena specifically, as the film is unbranded by design, and the goal was to increase category sales overall.

"In the Sun" features personal journeys of seven families who face extraordinary circumstances, as they learn the long-standing impact of prolonged sun exposure on their skin health. The film introduces us to Dr Shirley Chi, a dermatologist on a mission to educate and treat her patients, while highlighting simple but safe ways to enjoy the beauty of sunshine. Using these relatable stories, the film communicates the need for sun protection and regular skin checks for everyone, regardless of age or skin tone. Specifically, "In the Sun" addresses common misinformation about the need for sun protection for people of color, dispelling the incorrect belief that having naturally darker skin means they are not at risk of sun damage. It was critical that the film convey this, as well as raise awareness of tanning culture, beauty standards, and the simple steps that can help people stay safe in the sun.

In order to drive measurable change in rates of skin cancers, Neutrogena needed a new approach with the potential to change consumers’ personal health behaviors. The PSAs and ads traditionally used in the category had not been effective in moving the needle and driving actionable behavior change. At the same time, growth in cord-cutting among consumers drove the brand to reconsider the typical marketing channels. While in the past Neutrogena had run a TV and print media plan for the sun business, they chose to focus on an over-the-top approach and worked with award-winning actress Kerry Washington as executive producer, to make an engaging feature film that would be available to consumers for free, to view on the platform of their choice. Using entertainment, not advertising, Neutrogena created “In the Sun” to move consumers to action when it comes to their personal sun safety.

To effectively reach consumers and drive behavior change, we needed to increase awareness and maximize views of our film. To do this, we engaged a Hollywood production company and agencies specializing in entertainment and brand-funded films. Together we created the film and an integrated marketing campaign across various channels.

The trailer was released April 5, 2021 and the film was publicly released April, 27, 2021. A school screening program took place April-June 2021 and a world premiere screening event was held at the Tribeca Festival on June 18, 2021.

The film was available to watch on streaming channels, including YouTube, Apple TV, and Google. A key optimization was to leverage our online video spend to prioritize those watching on connected TV devices.

The campaign utilized digital film distribution, earned and paid media, brand ambassadors, influencers, school screenings, retail partnerships, and a sponsorship with the Tribeca Festival.

Reach - The film was viewed over 8.2 million times and screened for 125,000 students at schools in the U.S..

Engagement - A research screening measuring impact showed that after viewing the film, 93% of audiences were more aware of skin cancer and 89% said they were more likely to wear sunscreen consistently and do skin checks. Among Black viewers, there was a 40 percentage-point increase in skin cancer awareness. At the 1,600 school screenings, 60% of students said they would change their sun habits and 70% said they would wear sunscreen consistently.

Impact - “In the Sun” delivered the highest ROI of any digital video campaign the brand ran in 2021, outperforming Neutrogena ads in the same period and more than doubling the industry norm for online video ROI (ROAS of $2.11). The film helped make Q2 2021 the sun category’s highest-selling, fastest-growing Q2 in the last five years.