AHA

Making orange evergreen. Originally founded by Henkel in the 1970s, Creme 21 was later acquired in 2003 by Antje J Willems Stickel, which was then acquired by Emami in 2019. AHA secured the global mandate for the brand, with an initial focus on making it appealing to Emirati and Arab women in the GCC region.

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MAKING
ORANGE
EVERGREEN

Originally founded by Henkel in the 1970s, Creme 21 was later acquired in 2003 by Antje J Willems Stickel, which was then acquired by Emami in 2019. AHA secured the global mandate for the brand, with an initial focus on making it appealing to Emirati and Arab women in the GCC region.

In a market where brands like Nivea, Jergens, St.Ives, and Vaseline had long dominated, Creme 21, with its no-frills vitamin-focused formulation, aimed to become the most preferred skincare brand in the market.

Our goal was to make Orange the new rage.

2019

While consumers embraced the complexity of regimens in beauty and cosmetics, research uncovered a contrasting preference for a simpler, safer, and natural approach to skincare.

This contradiction inspired our organising idea, a powerful concept that not only set the brand apart from competitors but also celebrated its 50-year legacy of German skincare expertise.

INJECTING AHA
IN THE IDEAS

While creams and lotions serve the purpose of nourishment and moisturisation, women associate their benefits with beauty. Women aspire to display the radiance of their skin, considering glowing, healthy, and nourished skin as a testament to beauty.

THUS “SIMPLICITY IS BEAUTIFUL” WAS BORN

The beauty of Creme 21 lies in the simplicity of its vitamin-enriched formulation. The beauty of a woman lies in the simplicity of her radiant skin.

TAKING THE IDEA
TO THE CONSUMERS 

VISUAL LANGUAGE:

VISUAL LANGUAGE:

Given that the fundamental concept revolved around “simplicity,” we needed the visual language to align with it – a clean, simple, contemporary yet powerful appeal.

FILM:

FILM:

To illustrate the power of the idea, we felt that a musical montage would be an ideal construct. This montage captured various phases of a woman’s life, spotlighting her fulfilment of simple yet significant milestones. These moments, including embracing self-love, coming of age, savouring womanhood, experiencing love, uniting with family, and other personal milestones, are reflected in the radiance of her skin. Creme 21 celebrates and stands as a companion in these moments, reinforcing her sense of beauty. The film’s magic is woven through its music, and at AHA, we hold the belief that where words may falter, music steps in to fill the void, embodying the sentiment that “Music is the shorthand of emotion.” We crafted the lyrics, composed the track, and brought in local artists from their regions to perform it. The song was created in English, Arabic, French, and Urdu, with a strategic focus on reaching audiences in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Pakistan.

RESULT:

RESULT:

QUALITATIVE

Brand track showed a steep rise in awareness and salience in the first phase of the campaign.

QUANTITATIVE

By the end of the 180-day campaign, the brand climbed up to the fifth position and attained a market share of 2.2%.

2021

Two years post its introduction in the Middle East, Creme 21 aimed to establish a stronger presence in the region’s largest market – Saudi Arabia. However, the hurdles were substantial. One significant challenge was connecting with the younger generation, who although stepping out of the shadows of the past, still grappled with the constraints of a conservative culture, limiting avenues for expressing their freedom. How could a brand known for its bold and disruptive identity make its presence felt in a country where voices struggled to be heard?

The answer rested in positioning Creme 21 beyond a skincare brand— an enabler that nurtures confidence and resilience in women.

A confident person who celebrates and cheers those who aim to live life on their own terms.

INJECTING AHA
IN THE IDEAS

As women in Saudi Arabia progressively embrace their individuality and pursue their aspirations amidst the challenges they face, many struggle to find a broader platform for self-expression. Frequently, they experience isolation, with limited societal influencers supporting or catalysing the change they aim to bring about. Through this campaign, we aimed to add voice and velocity to this movement, honouring and celebrating the confidence and passion of women who radiate beauty through their accomplishments.

Our goal was to take the lead in redefining beauty, shifting the focus from ‘Looking good’ to ‘Achieving big.’ 

That’s how ‘I am comfortable in my own skin’ was born.

TAKING THE IDEA
TO THE CONSUMERS

VISUAL LANGUAGE:

 VISUAL LANGUAGE:

In our campaign visuals, vibrant and diverse women take centre stage, each exuding confidence and purpose. The imagery shifted away from conventional beauty standards, showcasing the strength and resilience that define true beauty. The campaign’s visual language communicates a powerful message: beauty lies in accomplishments, individuality, and the pursuit of one’s dreams. It’s a celebration of women breaking barriers and redefining societal expectations.

FILM:

FILM:

While our initial intent was to produce one big film, our exploration into the culture led us to a fascinating discovery—the number 6. In Arabic culture, the number 6 holds deep symbolic significance, associated with balance, harmony, completeness, and perfection.

Inspired by this cultural context, we crafted six films instead of one. Each film vividly portrayed the unique stories of six women and their unconventional journeys. Moving beyond the conventional societal roles of mother, daughter, wife, and sister on the one hand and the vanity of superficial beauty on the other, these women transcend as champions and contenders, embodying the essence of balance, harmony, completeness, and perfection.

The recurring line, ‘It makes my skin soft and my determination stronger,’ served as a unifying thread across all six films, forging a powerful and deep connection throughout the series.

RESULT:

RESULT:

QUALITATIVE

Creme 21 was awarded the “ET Best Brand 2021” in personal care and is widely recognized as a power to reckon with.

QUANTITATIVE

Creme 21 climbed 2 spots to number 3 in overall market share with over 300% growth compared to the previous year.

Taking Orange
to the World

In response to rising demand and an expanding customer base, Creme 21 ventured into new markets such as South East Asia and North Africa.

In 2021, we launched a bilingual website in Arabic and English to serve as a central platform for consumers to discover the brand and its products. The goal was to enhance organic awareness and establish credibility in new markets.

In line with Creme 21’s growth strategy, we established their social media presence across Southeast Asia (Taiwan and Indonesia) and North Africa (Egypt). Content on these platforms was thoughtfully crafted in native languages—Traditional Chinese for Taiwan, Bahasa for Indonesia, and Arabic for Egypt.

RETAIL AND
BELOW THE LINE

POSMs: While digital played a crucial role in capturing the zero moments of truth, it was equally crucial to fortify the first moment of truth touchpoints. We optimised Creme 21’s retail presence by creating planograms, impactful POSMs, end caps and gondolas.

Events: Engaging with consumers directly is crucial for building credibility and trust, especially for a new brand like Creme 21. We crafted communication for events, including Beauty World and Barrio Fiesta, along with numerous other conferences and trade shows, to enhance consumer engagement and establish a strong presence in the market.

CRAFTING
TOMORROW’S
RADIANCE

Creme 21’s rapid growth necessitated flanking through portfolio expansion and new product development. We supported Creme 21 in consumer research, concept testing, product packaging, key visual development, and brand positioning.

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