The Film
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CLIENT: Vaseline - Pro Derma
AGENCY: Monks
ROLE: Creative Director
Vaseline's premium Pro Derma range was failing on Douyin and Red. Its functional, product-driven ads clashed with the platform's entertainment-first culture, where users actively reject hard sells.
Our solution was to stop interrupting the user's break and become part of it. We created the Worry-Free Zone, an audience-first content strategy where each film provided a moment of mental escape, mirroring how the Pro Derma cream itself eases skin worries.
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To bring the Worry-Free Zone to life, we created a series of five high-craft, entertainment-first films. Instead of a single approach, we spoke Douyin's native language by embracing a diverse range of trending formats, from comedy to ASMR and immersive XR. Each piece was a captivating, quality production that skillfully wove in key product benefits, making them feel like an enjoyable discovery rather than a disruptive advertisement.
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We introduced the "Skincare Battle Lab," a series starring a team of wildly passionate scientists. Driven to craft the perfect product, they stop at nothing, running the most demanding and absurd tests imaginable. This format was a humorous, high-energy take on Pro Derma's serious dermatological credentials, delivering direct product benefits as the punchline to a funny, high-energy, and easily shareable story.
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To prove the cream's non-sticky benefit, this test featured two attractive male models in underwear. We blasted both with a storm of feathers, using comical close-ups of feathers caressing their faces and muscles. The competitor, covered in sticky cream, was humorously transformed into a literal "Birdman," while our Pro Derma user remained perfectly clean.
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This test demonstrated the hydrating and plumping effect via a "bounce stress test." Our scientists fired ping pong balls at the bodies of two male models in underwear. We created comical scenes by contrasting one model's scared reaction with the Pro Derma user's relaxed, massage-like enjoyment. His skin showed superior elasticity, sending the balls bouncing dramatically further.
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This Wes Anderson-style film visualized the product's science using charming VFX. We built a magical, live-action world inside the skin, where an army of cute workers repaired different layers over 72 hours. We gave them attractive personalities; they worked in a happy, positive way, sometimes dancing or eating. These charming characters made complex benefits like barrier repair feel easy and entertaining to understand.
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Targeting the ASMR community, we partnered with celebrity Nini for a sensory film focused on the "Snow Melting Cream" texture. The film paired crisp, relaxing sounds with pleasing visuals, including an artist's brush drawing calligraphy through a layer of cream. This positioned the product as a premium, meditative night ritual.
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Tapping into Douyin's XR trend, we placed a virtual polar bear on Shanghai's iconic Waibaidu Bridge. The bear applied the cream, and its low-poly "dry" skin instantly transformed into a high-poly, plump, and far cuter form, designed to melt the audience's hearts. As this happened, snow began to fall, subtly hinting at the "Snow Melting Cream" name and its fast-absorbing, hydrating effect.
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To bring the Worry-Free Zone to life, we created a series of high-craft, entertainment-first films. Instead of a single approach, we spoke Douyin's native language by embracing a diverse range of trending formats, from comedy to ASMR and immersive XR. Each piece was a captivating, quality production that skillfully wove in key product benefits, making them feel like an enjoyable discovery rather than a disruptive advertisement.
Storytelling Introduction
Immersive AR Experience
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To bring the Worry-Free Zone to life, we created a series of five high-craft, entertainment-first films. Instead of a single approach, we spoke Douyin's native language by embracing a diverse range of trending formats, from comedy to ASMR and immersive XR. Each piece was a captivating, quality production that skillfully wove in key product benefits, making them feel like an enjoyable discovery rather than a disruptive advertisement.
Storytelling Introduction
Immersive AR Experience
Unlock Wechat Stickers
Share with Friends
