H&S is widely considered amongst users and non-users alike as the best solution to tackle dandruff.

However, research has shown that one person out of three doesn’t buy H&S because they don’t know they have dandruff and their friends are too embarrassed to tell them.

This presented a huge growth opportunity for the brand.

Our task was twofold, we first needed to find a way to prove in an unequivocal manner that even those who don’t think they suffer from it might have dandruff, and then we needed to use this to shine a light on the whole phenomena of dandruff denial in order to shake up as many prospects as possible so that they honestly admit to themselves they have dandruff.

Israeli climate is extremely hot and humid. Which is breeding ground for dandruff.

The problem was – people didn’t believe they had dandruff! A large majority of Israelis are in fact dandruff deniers.

We believed that once people face the reality of their dandruff, they will seek out a solution. And what better solution than Israel’s and the world’s leading anti-dandruff shampoo? Head & Shoulders!

Our plan was to help dandruff deniers face the reality of their hair woes and offer an immediate resolve.

The Western wall in Jerusalem is the holiest Jewish site in the world, prior to entering the site one must put on a Yarmulke, a traditional brimless cap so with 10 Million visitors per year one could say that the Western Wall sees the largest turnover of head-covers per single location in the entire world, making it the perfect location for the largest-ever dandruff testing demo…

How do you get people to test themselves when they don’t think they have dandruff?

P&G has produced in the past self-testing strips that enabled dandruff detection. Different markets used different methods to get dandruff deniers to face the truth - test strips hidden in motorcycle helmets (Vietnam), in sports caps (U.S.) or simply inserted and distributed via Print (CEE).

For the first time ever we will produce H&S-branded Yarmulkes equipped with a special, internal, dandruff-detecting layer. We will hijack the existing Yarmulke distribution stand at the entrance to the site and turn our H&S Yarmulkes into a media channel by handing them out to visitors.

After their visit to the wall as the users take off their yarmulkes to give them back, our attendants would check the inside to see whether they have dandruff or not and H&S samples will be distributed to those realizing they have dandruff.

We commissioned a veteran Jerusalemite maker to produce a 1,000 Yarmulkas, each carrying the H&S logo discretely on the inside.

We then replaced the existing Yarmulke distribution stall with our own, giving away our H&S Yarmulkes to anyone wishing to enter the site.

The reveal came once they returned.

When prospects removed their Yarmulkes to return them we checked the filters for dandruff. Deniers were personally confronted with the evidence literally there.

To invite trial immediately after their test, we gave away thousands of trial-kits to dandruff sufferers, offering them also to opt-in to receive a promo code which they could redeem upon purchase, thus connecting test to trial in a swift, seamless journey.

Finally, we submitted a press release summarizing our trials, including an open offer to the Kotel Foundation, responsible for the Western wall, to permanently replace the existing Yarmulke distribution stand with an H&S one.

WE DROVE SALES BY 6% COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS PERIOD

Our campaign became the talk of the holy town and an immediate success, helping to drive sales by 6% compared to the previous period despite the fact that H&S was already the market leader.

We estimate that close to 50,000 visitors were tested for dandruff and circa 40% of them received either an H&S trial kit and/or a discount coupon.

Our press release took our message to additional publics reaching more than 3 million people as our offer to permanently replace the existing yarmulke stand at the entrance to the holiest Jewish site in the world with an H&S branded stall instantly sparked a public debate both online, in social media and in traditional media.