ABOUT

The Challenge
The haircare category was awash in a sea of sameness. Brands were making big promises of transformation that felt unattainable, and ‘salon quality’ claims were ubiquitous. Kao asked The Gild to set a new direction for John Frieda that would resonate with consumers, leverage its heritage, and get their internal teams engaged and excited.

The Approach
We ran a series of in-home consumer interviews, audited the haircare category, and explored the macro cultural trends that surround it. Using a series of creative techniques and workshops, we articulated a new set of directives and positioning story that would differentiate John Frieda within a homogeneous category.

The Solution
We developed an aspirational but attainable brand positioning that tells a story of empowerment, putting the consumer back in the driving seat and giving John Frieda a greater purpose beyond haircare. The positioning was brought to life through a brand manifesto and film.

The Results
Following the positioning, a new global campaign, “Me & John”, was developed and launched in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Holland, and Australia, and was widely recognized for bucking haircare norms.

Credit
The campaign imagery shown here was created by Arnold Worldwide, following the brand positioning work created by The Gild.