The PZ Cussons owned Personal Care brand ‘Sanctuary Spa’ is a female-only brand with the sole ambition to ‘make women feel wonderful’. It launched nearly 40 years ago with the iconic Covent Garden Spa, created initially for the benefit of girls from the Royal Ballet School to unwind, rejuvenate and restore. A range of ‘spa at home’ products were launched due to its popularity amongst all women.

In 2014, the spa closed and the consumer brand was left with a range of spa products that had lost their heritage. The brand, which is sold exclusively in leading Health & Beauty retailer BOOTS was struggling to differentiate itself from all the other pampering brands on the market…with little distinctiveness and plateauing penetration.

Our client’s challenge to us was to create an emotive UK film that could drive awareness and return the brand to growth in an already declining category. Limited budget meant that the film must deliver organic reach. We set out to create an emotive, shareable film unlike any other that would deliver 1million YouTube views.

The portrayal of women in 2015 had become such a broad and opinionated subject, with everyone from kids to pop stars to world leaders all having a say. We needed something new, something different - a voice of authority that could cut through the rhetoric and create real resonance with women. So, we turned to the older generation – the women who say it best because they say it with genuine passion, real knowledge and a warmth all women can connect with.

Shot by BAFTA award winning director Susana White, through RSA Films, the emotionally charged film captures the pressures of modern day women from the perspective of those who have lived through more social change than anyone else.

Our ladies talk passionately and candidly about their experiences, their regrets and the importance of stepping back, focusing on the things that really matter and finding a way to #LetGo.

#LetGo succeeded in surfacing the pressures women feel and redefining female empowerment.

Video views and consumer awareness:

1.5 million YouTube views vs 1million target (1million in the first 3 weeks)

22million video views after 6 months, globally (across Twitter, Facebook and blogs)

Brand awareness amongst women grew from 65% to 73%

An outpouring of positive emotion was witnessed in social

#LetGo was commented and shared by Richard Branson, Perez Hilton amongst others and featured in The Times, Daily Mail, Telegraph, BBC, Marie Claire, Huffington Post plus 84 others

#LetGo mentions grew 139%

Business/Brand Impact:

Brand sales grew 37% after 4 weeks and featured lines sustained growth 4 months later

Positive brand perception changes: ‘Sanctuary are nice products but that’s about all’ declined from 42% to 34% and ‘I don’t know much about them’ declined by 10% in 6 months

Share of Voice grew from 20% to 39% in the month