On Strategy Showcase — Neutrogena’s New Angle on Skincare: Nostalgia

Host: Fergus O’Carroll
Guests:

• Chris Reatt (VP Global Neutrogena Brand Leader, Kenview)
• Leah Gratton (EVP Group Director, Integrated Strategy, BBDO)
• Alex Booker (Executive Creative Director, BBDO New York)
  Date: September 1, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores Neutrogena’s latest campaign, which breaks free from conventional skincare advertising by leveraging 90s nostalgia as a unique trigger for aging—and rejuvenation. Instead of following the beauty category’s typical clinical or glamour-led communications, Neutrogena and BBDO New York use cultural touchpoints (like the iconic Beverly Hills 90210) to create a more relatable, emotionally driven message. The conversation covers the strategic imperatives, creative executions, and internal challenges behind the bold campaign, with thoughtful insights on Neutrogena's efforts to reestablish its relevance with a new generation of skincare consumers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Skincare Category’s Stale Norms

• Two Dominant Styles:
  • Medicinal/Clinical: Heavily claims-driven ("48 hours…", "9x more…")
  • Ethereal Glamour: Aspirational celebrity endorsements
• Leah Gratton:

  "It's just been growing and it doesn't matter, there's been no incentive to change because it works. But… people are a bit overwhelmed with choice… it's just noise." ([06:01])

Neutrogena’s Strategic Brief

• The team saw a chance to disrupt this by going deeper, aiming to bring “a totally unique perspective to the category, which is hard.”

2. The Move to Social and Shifting Influences

• Social First:
  • Beauty content’s explosion on platforms like TikTok ("SkinTok" has 4.4 billion posts)
  • The need to win "cultural relevance" over mere awareness.
• Alex Booker:

  "Awareness isn't a problem for Neutrogena… Is Neutrogena a relevant brand to me? That's where we're trying to find our little space within… social." ([09:13])

3. Reframing Aging: From Fear to Fun

• Research & Insights:

  • The team explored aging not just on the skin, but culturally.
  • Traditional advertising preys on fear—new wrinkles as the "horror story."

• Leah Gratton:

  "We found… the relationship we have with our own appearance has fundamentally changed… a trigger point for aging was a wrinkle. That is no longer what gets people thinking about aging… The unlock was… culture was talking about aging through humor and nostalgia." ([11:10])

  • Key Insight: Nostalgia (not wrinkles) is now often the first sign of aging.

4. The ‘Nostalgia as Aging’ Creative Spark

• Meme as Brief:
  • Example: "If you remember playing with this Troll Doll, you're old."
  • Nostalgia deployed as a playful, cultural "truth bomb."
• Alex Booker:

  "Once Leah found that insight around nostalgia… we have to run at this… It's not about... a particular piece of IP… it's about nostalgia as a trigger to remind people that this is a sign you are maybe a little older than you think, done in a very fun, humorous way." ([14:08])

Campaign Examples

• Leveraged 90210 (“If you remember rooting for Donna and David… it may be time for Neutrogena retinol.”)
• Placed audio ads in 90s playlists on Spotify; Blockbuster pop-ups; 90s swag.
• Alex Booker:

  "If you go and search '90210 Neutrogena' on TikTok, you'll find like a whole slew of videos of people like: Did you just call me old? But respect. I love it." ([16:04])

5. Staking a Position Internally: Getting Buy-in

• Risk & Reception:

  • Internal concern about departing from established product-focused, “safe” advertising.

• Chris Reatt:

  "For me, the challenge… is to break through that clutter… you need to be bolder and more daring.” ([20:01])

  • Being obsessed with breakthrough became the motivator for risk-taking.

6. Beauty “to a Science”: The Neutrogena Brand Promise

• Dermatologists as ‘Truth-Tellers’
  • Neutrogena’s legacy: clinically endorsed but consumer-friendly.
  • Real dermatologists integrated into the storytelling—sometimes to comedic effect.
• Fun Fact: The dermatologist in the main spot was actually one director’s real doctor.
• Booker:

  "We always use a real dermatologist… We want them to feel inseparable from the work… having someone like Dr. Shawna… give you that message… felt like it was a truth bomb being dropped on you, but done with a smile." ([21:42])

7. Platform Approach & Executional Diversity

• Beauty to a Science is the brand platform, not just for specific lines.
• Neutrogena adapts creative and celebrity choices based on both product and cultural relevance:
  • E.g., John Cena for invisible sunscreen, linking to the “you can’t see me” meme ([28:02-28:21])
  • Beverly Hills, 90210 for retinol serum, hitting 90s nostalgia.
  • Influencers like Haley Steinfeld, Tate McRae for Gen Z products like Hydro Boost ([27:34])
• Alex Booker:

  "Celebrities now… they're very much a media channel... you can tap into their communities… But the red thread between all of them is that derm integration." ([30:49])

8. Cultural Impact & Measurement

• Highly positive engagement signals:
  • Increased interactions, standout comments, “heads turning” in the beauty industry.
• Chris Reatt:

  "The engagement is all forms of engagement… the impact is awesome… even the comments… [are] a source of content." ([34:21])

• The campaign’s tone and cultural specificity triggering conversation and “good vibes from our partners.”

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• "If you remember rooting for Donna and David, it may be time to start using Neutrogena retinol renewal serum." — (Dermatologist in campaign, [05:35], [23:28])
• "The unlock was… culture was talking about aging through humor and nostalgia." — Leah Gratton ([11:10])
• "Oh my God, Neutrogena, you just called me old. But I love it." — Alex Booker, on social media reactions ([16:04])
• "Being obsessed with breaking through the clutter… you need to be bolder and more daring." — Chris Reatt ([20:01])
• "We always use a real dermatologist… done in a way that felt like it was a truth bomb… but with a smile." — Alex Booker ([21:42])

Notable Timestamps

• [05:17] — 90210 spot audio recreation; introduction of the campaign’s core concept.
• [06:01] — Leah Gratton on the two dominant models in skincare advertising.
• [11:10] — Cultural research: from fear-based aging messaging to nostalgia.
• [14:08] — Booker explains the “nostalgia is aging” creative strategy.
• [16:04] — Booker details comparisons between surface-level and insight-driven nostalgic ads.
• [20:01] — Chris Reatt on organizational buy-in for disruptive creative.
• [21:42] — Booker tells the story behind casting the campaign’s dermatologist.
• [27:34] — Chris Reatt on the Collagen Bank campaign and evolving celebrity strategy.
• [28:02-28:21] — John Cena in the invisible sunscreen work; meme-informed creative.
• [34:21] — Chris Reatt reports strong early engagement and positive industry reaction.

Conclusion

Neutrogena’s new direction—anchored in the unique insight that nostalgia can be the first, most emotionally-charged sign of aging—has injected fresh energy into a crowded, often formulaic category. By drawing from shared pop culture moments and enlisting both celebrities and real dermatologists as cultural connectors, the brand has created campaigns that are not only more relatable and relevant but that spark social conversation. Early results in engagement and brand equity show that the gamble was worth it, making Neutrogena a case study for bold, insight-driven brand rejuvenation.