Brand Revitalization, Product Innovation, Multi-Channel Marketing Campaign
- Led cross-functional creative team from ideation to pitch
- ​Managed production timetable and group workflow
- Strategized business problem and recommendations
Team
Gary Baker, CW
Sloane Beaver, CS
John Briney, CT
Sam Cantor, AD
Jen Clinehens, CBM
Cristina Hall, CS
SITUATION: A STAGNANT BRAND
Once a dominant force in men's grooming, the Irish Spring brand has seen a softening and slight decline in sales over the past decade. In order to reverse the downward trend, we examined the market forces and communications trends at work in the category.
MARKET CHALLENGE: THE RISE OF BODY WASH
COMMUNICATIONS CHALLENGE: WE ARE FOLLOWING THE HERD
The category leaders in men's grooming have pushed users from bar soap to body wash through a combination of disruptive advertising and product innovations. Old Spice and Axe push for men to use body wash rather than soap has helped increase the size of the overall grooming category by 6.79%, but amidst this grow Irish Spring's volume sales have declined nearly 7% in the past year alone. The core of Irish Spring's business is bar soap (with nearly 75% of overall sales coming from the bar), and its market share is being eroded by the move to body wash.
Irish Spring began its life as the soap for rugged and utilitarian "manly men" - they didn't want to primp in the shower, they wanted to keep it simple and just get clean. In the past six years, Irish Spring has ignored their core audience in favor of the trendy, over the top depiction of hyper-sexual masculinity made popular by Axe and Old Spice. Irish Spring's sales dip coincides directly with this shift in communications.
THEN
NOW
Irish Spring:
All you need is soap and water - 1980'S
Old Spice, Axe, Irish Spring:
Soap = Muscles, Sex, Women - 2010's
NEW BRAND POSITIONING: OWN THE BAR
Rather than betray our core consumer and follow the trend into body wash, Irish Spring will own the whitespace these companies have left behind. We will stay true to the 75% of our consumers who love the simplicity of soap - we will own the bar.
PUSH BACK AGAINST FUSSINESS IN THE SHOWER
In the 1980's Irish Spring owned "manly" - it was rugged, tough, and fresh. In 2007, they followed the category trend and debuted a body wash. Since then, we've been losing marketshare. By returning to our simple, manly roots we can position against the over-groomed Axe and Old Spice "men" that are dominating the category.
NEW TARGET: THE "MID-MAINTENANCE MAN"
​25-54 years old, they value being clean and fresh, but the hyper-masculine messaging of Axe and Old Spice seems silly. To them, masculinity isn’t about sex appeal - it's about confidence. They know that's something that doesn't come in a bottle.
​
They love the simplicity of the bar - no need for fancy gels, loofas, and scrubs in the shower. They don't want to overthink showering, they just want to get in, get clean, and get out.
"[Bar soap] feels like it really cleans me. I don't like a wasteful body wash that smells like hormones."
"It's such a subtlety in my life. [Showering] is never something I consciously think about. I just get clean."
"The loofah is for my teenage daughter. A bar of soap is more efficient and less wasteful."
THEY SPEND LESS THAN
$25 A MONTH ON
GROOMING PRODUCTS
Their dopp kit holds the essentials:
Toothpaste & toothbrush
Shampoo & conditioner
Disposable razors
Soap

CONSUMER INSIGHT: MEN HAVE SHOWER SHAME
Our target is being persuaded to buy body wash on the aisle, but once they get home and take a look at all the things in their shower they feel like they are over grooming. They have a case of shower shame.
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY:
IRISH SPRING LEADS THE FIGHT AGAINST FUSSY
