After taking on Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) owned soap brands such as Dove and Lux for their pH claims in advertisements in December 2020, German personal care brand Sebamed owned USV Limited India has launched a new “Sirf Science ki Suno" (listen only to science) campaign focused around its anti-hair loss shampoo.
Created along similar lines as its soap brand campaign by advertising agency The Womb, the new haircare spot is less confrontational and does not take the names of any other hair care brands. It, however, challenges how hair care ads are created and asks the viewer not to trust shampoo recommendations from friends, family and celebrities. It also mentions that the anti-hairfall shampoo has a pH of 5.5 and is designed to help people tackle hairfall problems at the root itself.
The product claims to improve the overall health of the scalp and make the roots stronger to prevent hairfall. While most shampoo ads have glamourous shots of shiny smooth hair, the visuals in this ad focus heavily on close-ups of a scalp and roots of hair.
Konark Gaur, head of marketing–Sebamed India said “Sebamed is committed to truthful advertising and delivering on the promises it makes to its customers. We listened to the consumers’ frustration in the anti-hair fall shampoo category and discovered a gap between promise and delivery. Through this campaign, Sebamed promises to fill this need gap through its science-based anti-hair loss shampoo which not only reduces hair breakage but also strengthens the roots."
In addition to anti-hair loss shampoo, Sebamed is also offering solutions for dandruff and everyday maintenance needs through its shampoo range.
Navin Talreja, co-founder, The Womb, said, “Hairloss is a big consumer pain point, yet consumer knowledge around breakage vs hair loss is limited. Through this campaign, our intent was to educate the consumer of the difference between the two and solve the real problem of hair-loss with its unique formula."
According to Abneesh Roy, analyst, Edelweiss Securities, such an expensive shampoo (Sebamed) priced at ₹600, it is an extremely niche product. “Also, FMCG ads unlike say a car ad should be more about telling a story rather than highlighting technicals. We don't see Sebamed impacting any of the established shampoo players like HUL or Dabur," he added.
