A woman pulls into a gas station with engine trouble. While waiting for the mechanic to fix it, she goes to the bathroom to freshen up, including a shampoo with Herbal Essences. The sound of her "totally organic experience" noticeably distracts the mechanic. Our heroine emerges refreshed and with exquisitely beautiful hair. Our smitten mechanic lets the heroine know that (thankfully for him) the car will take longer to fix than expected.
Philosophie
Shift the classic category paradigm from focus on generic end benefits (silky, shiny, manageable hair) to in-use experience -- the pleasure of a haircare product with a fabulous fragrance, a beautiful package, herbal ingredients and the "naughty but nice" attitude of a totally organic experience. The result: the brand catapulted to the #2 position and our now famous campaign has become part of the pop lexicon.
Problem
Herbal Essences, the #3 brand in the 1970's, was nearly extinct by the 1990's. The re-birth of the natural trend offered a second lease on life. But with a budget less than 15% of the leading brand, jumping on the "natural" bandwagon woudn't be enough. They needed a breakthrough idea to rejuvenate the brand.