Nivea for Men Wins Marketing Award

• UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Nivea for Men was the only recipient of the Effie award in the Fragrances and Cosmetics category for the year 2012. The award recognized the effectiveness Nivea for Men’s marketing communications campaign that addressed the cultural taboo associated with men choosing personal grooming products for sensitive skin.

Nivea for Men’s market research revealed that men in the region felt embarrassed to use sensitive skin grooming products. To counter this, the campaign’s messages centered on engaging them within the region’s “macho” culture through a 360º campaign featuring novel online and promotional concepts. These included a “What’s Your Man Quotient” quiz on the product’s Facebook page along with the support of in-mall activation, print, TV, and below-the-line media—all designed to show sensitivity and machismo were not mutually exclusive.

Eli Abrass, brand manager, Nivea for Men, said the award is a recognition of Nivea’s “constant innovation.” He continued, “The ‘Tough Men Choose Sensitive’ campaign ran on several integrated media platforms across all Middle Eastern markets. The campaign ideas were innovative and engaged our male consumers resulting in winning 140,000 new Facebook fans but most of all they were effective as evidenced through spectacular sales results.”

The Gulf Marketing Review Effectiveness in Marketing Awards (GEMAS) was launched by the Gulf Marketing Review in 2004 to reward outstanding work in the field of marketing communications in the Middle East and North Africa region. This year, it has partnered with the Effies, a widely recognized marketing communications award that was launched in New York in 1968 by the American Marketing Association.