Consumers are more aware than ever before of their imprint on the natural world, and their interest is proven through the products they consume. Herbal Essences commitment to biodiversity and the wonders of nature dovetails perfectly with our vision and values, and we share a belief in the power of science, which made us natural storytelling partners.

We focused our storytelling lens on the first global hair care partnership between Herbal Essences and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which has 250 years of botanical expertise, to bring consumers more transparency and confidence in the ingredients that go into Herbal Essences bio:renew products. While the strategic relationship puts the hair care brand on cutting edge of botanical science, there is limited consumer awareness of the partnership and how it translates into better quality hair care products. Our objective was to instill an awareness and appreciation for botanicals as an important differentiator.

The creative strategy is framed to elevate the botanical narrative and connect the power of plants to our health and the health of the planet by taking viewers down the garden paths of the Royal Gardens of Kew in London – one of the most biodiverse and beautiful places in the world. The creative idea is designed as a secretive journey to unlock the incredible botanical secrets, that are both personal and world changing. Through a combination of stunning visuals, and incredible insights we explore critical questions in the lab and uncover visually stunning answers in the garden, all designed to capture the imagination of what’s possible. The creative throughline takes us on a journey around the world blending science, culture, travel, and beauty to answer critical questions that will ultimately change the view forever.

The strategy was to naturally weave Herbal Essences into the story of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to offer natural pathways to introduce the power of botanicals. This approach provided a beautiful canvas to create intrigue around the leadership efforts Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Herbal Essences who, together, are setting new standards for the beauty industry.

We identified the scientists as the rockstars of the show and invited them to share what is possible when we look to botanicals to unlock the secrets of nature. This inside look at the work of the world’s leading botanists who are pioneering new methods to document plant “fingerprints,” identify botanical properties that can enhance our lives, authenticate ingredients, and ultimately preserve our biodiversity, intentionally not a documentary about hair care research and development, but rather an entertaining and enlightening story that captures the imagination of the possibilities of nature.

The partnership centerpiece is a 22-minute custom documentary, "SECRETS OF THE GARDEN", with extended storytelling components including a series of short videos that serve as explainers, a dynamic digital experience that takes visitors behind the scenes at Kew, and social posts to fully distribute the story to audiences across its vast media ecosystem.

"SECRETS OF THE GARDEN" premiered in prime time on the National Geographic Channel on January 17, 2019 with 3 encore telecasts through March. Additionally the series of short videos served as explainers, a dynamic and immersive digital experience that takes visitors behind the scenes at Kew, and social posts connected with audiences across our vast media ecosystem. The special was broadly distributed across our nonlinear ecosystem including VOD, TVE, and You Tube. We created custom tune-in vignettes for television and social to drive interest in the special and additional exposure for Herbal Essences. Total impressions exceeded 92mm.

“SECRETS OF THE GARDEN” garnered 92M+ mixed media impressions across linear, digital and social platforms. On linear, the documentary reached a projected audience of 1.9M and the on-air promotional elements reached a projected audience of 13M. On VOD and social channels, the documentary and explainer videos garnered 2M impressions. Digital media drove series viewership and custom content engagement, yielding 17.5M impressions and click-through rates 3x the benchmark, signaling an engaged audience.

A strategic mix of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube content accumulated more than 58M+ impressions, 429K engagements and 1.8M video views.

The partnership successfully delivered Herbal Essences’ target audience with female viewers: 3x more likely to be Herbal Essences consumers, 39% more likely to be heavy shampoo users, and 19% more likely to more likely to feel they are more environmentally conscious than most.