Delhi is the most polluted city in the world. Everyday, 200million toxins land on women’s faces without them even realising. To promote Pond’s Facial Cleanser, an advanced skincare solution, we wanted to open their eyes to the problem. So, we showed them in the most tangible way how their skin gets affected.

We created “AIR Delhi”, the first makeup range made from the toxins found in Delhi’s air pollution. An idea that tricked women into trying our highly premium Smokey Eye Mascara, lipstick shades in ‘Breathless’ and eye palettes in “Grey Haze” – only to reveal the very ingredients that the products are made of, women wears on their faces every day. When they found out, women were horrified and wanted to get rid of the pollution on their skin. So we gave them Pond’s Facial Cleanser, an advanced skincare solution and the only way to truly detox polluted skin.

We borrowed from the approach of premium Cosmetic launches, to create a convincing campaign for our new Makeup brand: AIR Delhi. Billboards were covered with our campaign. A teaser video was shared with beauty Influencers, on Indian Video Sharing sites and TV, luxuriating the range; drawing people in with Delhi Air’s “Smokey Eye Mascara”, “Grey Haze Pallete” and “Breathless Lipstick.”

We launched a Bona Fide Makeup Counter in Delhi’s largest shopping mall. As women trickled in to try our new Smokey colour palettes, makeup artists revealed that the cosmetics were made of Sulphur Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, dirt and dust; replicating the amount of pollution women already wear on their faces simply by walking in the streets of Delhi.

Pond’s Facial Cleanser, an advanced skincare solution, was finally revealed as the culprit behind our fascicle Makeup Brand as the only way to truly clear the pollution on your face.

Women were horrified when they realised that they already wear our pollution makeup every day. They all wanted to get rid of the toxins on their faces so, we gave them Pond’s Facial Cleanser, an advanced skincare solution. The sampling activation was the biggest one ever done by Pond’s in India.

Women’s disgusted reactions were captured on film and posted online on a pollution peak day. The impact was instant: the media’s conversation shifted from the effects of pollution in the air to the effects of pollution on the skin. Soon, Pollution makeup became a trending topic on social media and across India, women understood the need to cleanse and protect their skin.