As a trusted brand in digestive health, Sanofi’s objective was to attract new and lapsed users to their newly launched Chewy Fruit Bites. Laxatives as a category typically maintains a level of taboo. There are many barriers consumers face when considering using a laxative, as well as a low level of understanding of how laxative’s work. Sanofi’s Dulcolax Chewy Fruit Bites product launch campaign with two spots, “Go With It” and “Good Morning,” was designed to address the category taboos and reach new consumers.
Constipation is a common digestive issue that can be helped with over-the-counter medicines, but laxatives often carry a negative stigma due to ‘oh no’ bathroom moments and hijinks in popular culture. Although many laxatives usually work within a specific time-frame, many consumers express concerns about the unpredictable nature and fear of having an immediate urge to go.
The Dulcolax team developed a new product to create an approachable option and alleviate concerns about laxatives. When creating the Chewy Fruit Bites, customer comfortability was top-of-mind and, subsequently, a chewy bite form was determined to be the most favorable selection among laxative users. Dulcolax Chewy Fruit Bites are a cramp-free solution for constipation with a 30-minute to 6-hour window for consumers to start to feel relief.
In order to break through to consumers and bring awareness to the Chewy Fruit Bites, Dulcolax turned to television to successfully generate awareness of this new product. While constipation can often feel like a taboo subject, bringing the product to T.V. screens was an attainable approach to negating negative stereotypes about who has constipation and what they use to treat it – introducing the ‘Go With It’ and ‘Good Morning’ commercial ads.
The Dulcolax Chewy Fruit Bites campaign was strategically designed to revolutionize the way consumers perceive the laxative category and how constipation is relieved. The brand created commercials demonstrating how users can keep an active lifestyle without the worry or discomfort they may feel from other laxatives. With an emphasis on ease and comfort, Dulcolax assures consumers that their product will put them in control of their digestive health needs.
The Dulcolax Chewy Fruit Bites television commercials achieved remarkable results in consumer engagement. In total, the brand received 304.3 million impressions across streaming TV, OLV and display advertisements.
3P Brand Lift Study (DISQO) Survey Results showed that after users were exposed to the Chewy Fruit Bites creative campaign, their attitudes were positively impacted, and their awareness of the brand grew. Participants said they had a positive association with the perception that Dulcolax gives them control over their constipation and reacted positively to the perception that the Chew Fruit Bites will “make their mornings even better.”
Additionally, Chewy Fruit Bites was awarded the notable Product of the Year USA award in the digestive health category, showcasing its recognition within the industry as a groundbreaking innovation for constipation. Winners of the Product of the Year award are determined by a consumer survey – proving people were impressed with the results from the Chewy Fruit Bites.
In terms of business results, the campaign successfully attracted new and lapses users, leading to significant sales lifts and market share growth. Dulcolax grew laxative category dollar share by 0.5 points for calendar year 2023. Dollar sales grew +9% in 2023, faster than any other brand in the category. By addressing consumer hesitations and breaking down barriers that existed in the category, the Chewy Fruit Bites became a preferred choice for consumers seeking digestive health solutions.
