P&G and Saatchi & Saatchi

P&G’s hair care brand, Head & Shoulders, began working with Saatchi & Saatchi in 2014. The client briefs Saatchi on several business objectives and challenges each year. From there, the agency leads strategic and creative development across marketing efforts and guides partner agencies so that the end result is holistic. The client and agency work closely through execution, seeking out each other’s guidance and expertise. They share a common goal of believing in seeking out bigger creative opportunities, pushing harder and taking risks.

An example of their team structure and how they collaborate is evident from their recent work together on Head & Shoulder’s Super Bowl ad. The agency took on this challenge without any fee, making it outside their comfort zone. Once realizing they had a big brand idea on their hands, the client in turn went outside of their comfort zone to swap existing marketing plans to launch the creative, even though they weren’t able to secure a Super Bowl media buy. Saatchi led creative, came up with a big idea, worked hand-in-hand with partner agencies, proposed the celebrity ambassador, and navigated a tight budget to produce all the assets.

Head & Shoulders and Saatchi launched the “Shoulders of Greatness” integrated campaign at the start of the 2015 NFL season. The 60-second TV spot starred Odell Beckham, Jr., highlighting both his iconic hair and everything he carries on his shoulders. The idea behind the spot is that shoulders are made for carrying hopes and dreams, not for dandruff.

The initial objective of “Shoulders of Greatness” was to get an additional 350 million men to try Head & Shoulders while also maintaining their current users. HHP has just eclipsed 20% for the first time ever on the brand, up from 19.7% in June of 2015 to 20.08% as of June of 2016. Head & Shoulders and Saatchi’s “CEO” and Date” radio spots were shortlisted at the 2015 Cannes Lions.