Since 1851, Kiehl’s has been committed to delivering the finest formulas for healthy skin. Renowned for their high-performance moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and serums, the brand has long been a leader in skincare. In 2024, Kiehl’s ventured into uncharted territory—introducing a new line of intimate care products and sparking a conversation the public never expected.
This wasn’t just another product launch; it was an opportunity to challenge stigma. Research and social listening revealed that discussions around intimate areas are often negative or avoided altogether. In fact, 46% of people in the U.S. feel there is a stigma associated with using medical terminology for anatomy, and only 20% are comfortable talking about their own bodies.
While Gen Z is known for being open and unapologetically authentic, the data showed a surprising contradiction: despite embracing self-expression, they shy away from conversations about pubic health, body odor, and intimate care. This tension created an opportunity for Kiehl’s to lead the charge in normalizing these discussions.
Inspired by internally conducted market research, Kiehl’s identified key concerns among Gen Z consumers: 66% of women and 47% of men in the U.S. remove body hair, often experiencing ingrown hairs, irritation, and uneven skin tone as a result. Enter Kiehl’s Intimate Drops—a targeted solution designed to address these issues while breaking down the broader taboo surrounding intimate care.
To generate awareness and drive cultural relevance, Kiehl’s partnered with an agency to develop a bold, earned-first creative campaign. The goal? To go beyond traditional content and spark mass conversation, cultural impact, and social engagement—ensuring Kiehl’s not only stood out in this new category but led it.
True to their no-nonsense ethos, Kiehl’s teamed up with an agency to create a campaign that tackled intimate care head-on. They knew that to empower people to get what they need for their bodies, they first needed to empower honest conversations about them.
To make a bold cultural impact, the agency developed a comprehensive 360-degree strategy that seamlessly integrated PR, social media, and influencer marketing. This unique, earned-first approach culminated in the provocatively titled campaign, “Pubic Service Announcement.”
The campaign aimed to transform how people talk about intimate care. Recognizing a growing openness on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, the team saw that while users were discussing their bodies, they were often cloaked in euphemisms. Kiehl’s cut through the noise, choosing to speak candidly and scientifically. While other brands tiptoe around the topic with childish language, Kiehl’s, backed by over 170 years of expertise, speaks with the authority of dermatologists, doctors, and adults.
Social media restrictions posed a unique challenge, as platforms like TikTok and Instagram prohibit photographic nudity, complicating the advertisement of intimate care products. In response, Kiehl’s cleverly sidestepped these limitations by creating content that leveraged real Renaissance-style nude oil paintings. By disguising ads as classical artwork, Kiehl’s cleverly bypassed censorship, ensuring their message reached the masses unfiltered and without fear of removal.
At the heart of the campaign was the two-minute hero film, “Who Wants to Be a Million-Hair?” starring Ilana Glazer. Known for her comedic and candid role in Broad City, Ilana was the perfect fit to bring humor and honesty to discussions about everything from body hair removal to all-over sweat. The film sought to normalize discussions around intimate care, leveraging Ilana’s unique voice to resonate with audiences.
To further normalize intimate care, Kiehl’s enlisted experts—doctors, waxers, and body-positive influencers—to share educational content across platforms. Their candid voices amplified the campaign’s mission, making it clear that open conversations are essential for self-care.
Even the packaging for the influencer PR mailers challenged norms. Rejecting the usual discreet packaging for intimate care products that suggests shame, Kiehl’s opted for bold, unapologetic packaging that featured statements like “I HAVE PUBIC HAIR” and “PRIVATE PART PRODUCTS ENCLOSED.” These packages were sent to 3,000 influencers, encouraging them to unbox publicly and create their own PSAs, inspiring people to be more public about their privates.
By blending irreverent humor, artistic creativity, and expert insight, the Kiehl’s “Pubic Service Announcement” campaign successfully broke taboos and initiated a more honest dialogue around intimate care—proving once again that Kiehl’s is a brand unafraid to lead important cultural conversations.
The Kiehl’s “Pubic Service Announcement” campaign delivered outstanding results, significantly surpassing the brand’s previous benchmarks:
1.6M total views and 23.4K total engagements across Kiehl’s owned social and influencer content.
Owned content alone generated 1.4M views (a 186% increase over Kiehl’s previous quarterly average) and 18.7K engagements (117% above average results).
Influencer content contributed an additional 186K views and 4.6K engagements to the campaign’s success.
The campaign’s standout posts shattered engagement records:
“Shaken Not Stirred” became the highest-performing post by views, surpassing 1M views and outperforming Kiehl’s quarterly Instagram average by a staggering 2,280%. View post
“PSA Portraits” was the most engaged-with post, generating 4.8K engagements—a 580% increase over previous averages. View post
“Sensitive Content” secured 3.3K engagements, exceeding Kiehl’s engagement benchmarks by 477%. View post
Beyond metrics, the campaign fostered organic conversation and proactive community engagement, sparking a wave of positive, humorous, and uplifting interactions with fans. Through strategic real-time engagement, Kiehl’s identified and amplified five pieces of UGC and initiated 10 Surprise & Delight moments for loyal fans.
Over the four-week campaign, a proactive community strategy led to a week-over-week increase in fan engagement, totaling 252 proactive engagements across TikTok, Instagram, and X. This included an engaging real-time interaction with "very demure, very mindful" influencer Jools Lebron during her trip to LA, further amplifying the campaign’s reach and relatability.
Kiehl’s didn’t just launch a product; they ignited a cultural conversation—turning an intimate care line into a viral, record-breaking moment.
