Wacoal: THE STORY OF MYSTERIOUS BEAUTIES

Credits & Description:

Category: Consumer Goods, including FMCG and Household Products

Advertiser: WACOAL

Product/Service: BRA

Account Manager: Seiji Morioka (Hakuhodo)

Account Supervisor: Shunsuke Kimura (Hakuhodo)

Account Executive: Yuriko Suga (Hakuhodo)

Chief Producer: Hitoshi Futami (Hakuhodo)

Producer: Takumi Matsuzawa (Hakuhodo)

Planner: Kaori Wakatsuki (Hakuhodo)

Creative Director: Masaru Kitakaze (Hakuhodo)

Creative Director: Taro Umemura (Hakuhoho)

Art Director: Go Hosokawa (Hakuhodo)

Copywriter: Kanako Ishioroshi (Hakuhodo)

Chief Executive Officer: Yasuto Fujita (integrate co.)

Chief Account Planner: Yuko Kohama (integrate co.)

Account Planner: Maki Matsuda (integrate co.)

Account Planner: Tomoko Koyama (integrate co.)

Research Planner: Takayuki Miyake (integrate co.)

Research Planner: Mihoko Takahashi (integrate co.)

Chief Digital Solution Planner: Dai Ishikawa (integrate co.)

Chief Public Relations Planner: Ayuko Serizawa (integrate co.)

Public Relations Planner: Ayako Ichida (integrate co.)

Public Relations Planner: Yuko Kiyonaga (integrate co.)

Media placement: TV PR - NHK "Asaichi" - 22 April 2010

Media placement: TV PR - Nippon-TV "DON！" - 1 July 2010

Media placement: TV PR - TBS　"N-St" - 15 April 2010

Media placement: TV PR - Fuji-TV　"Realscope" - 10 July 2010

Media placement: News Paper - Asahi Shimbun - 16 April 2010

Media placement: News Paper - Yomiuri Shimbun - 26 April 2010

Media placement: News Paper - Nikkei　Shimbun - 18 July 2010

Media placement: WEB PR - Yahoo！JAPAN - 5 October 2010

Media placement: WEB Tie Up - Cafeglobe.com - 15 April 2010

Media placement: Magazine - Kobunsha "be-Story" - 17 July 2010



Summary of the Campaign

With commoditization advancing in the underwear market, conditions are unfavourable for Wacoal, known for its high quality, high functionality and high costs.

Since Wacoal’s main customers are women in their 40s, Wacoal has been able to generate a positive image toward aging by advocating the fact that women can prevent the aging of their breasts with the right choice in bras and by making it possible for women to envision success in anti-aging through the "Mysterious Beauties."

The outcome was that with a budget of approximately $1 million, Wacoal was able to achieve results worth approximately $60 million in advertising with bra sales at 127% that of the previous year. Wacoal’s validation of positive self-investment called "Mysterious Beauties’ consumption," lead to the stimulation of the anti-aging market itself.



The Situation

Wacoal is a well-established leading manufacturer of underwear in Japan, producing highly functional, high quality products based on years of research.

However, with the commoditization in the underwear market in Japan and with the rise of fast brands and mail ordering, the sales performances of companies specializing in higher-priced bras sold in department stores had been declining.

Wacoal’s mission at this time was to rejuvenate sales by conveying the value of Wacoal bras to women in their 40s, the main customers of department stores.



The Goal

To analyze from diverse angles, the Japanese woman’s mindfulness in underwear selection, in regards to four aspects (social, media, distribution and consumer).

To increase sales of Wacoal’s highly functional and high-priced bras through its target customer — women around 40 years of age — by making known the fact that the right choice in bras can prevent breast aging and by proposing a lifestyle with a more positive outlook on aging.



The Strategy

In order to instil a positive awareness in women toward anti-aging for breasts, Wacoal made it possible for women to envision success in anti-aging through the "Mysterious Beauties." Wacoal discovered actual regular women who have maintained youthful breasts and promoted them in the media beginning with women’s magazines.

Wacoal succeeded in establishing a new lifestyle - of choosing underwear for the purpose of anti-aging, with the appeal in the fact that the secret to beautiful breasts lies in proper "underwear selection" which can be done by anyone.



Execution

Wacoal promoted the proposal of a new lifestyle with "Anti-aging for breasts with bras" beginning with a feature program on underwear with the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation NHK in April, 2010 and continued with the promotion until December through informational programs of all the major television stations.

This PR spread from TV into web news and social media.

In addition, Wacoal held a public contest for mysterious beauties from August to November of 2010 in cooperation with other corporations. With the validation of a lifestyle that confronts aging in a positive manner, 4,000 housewives from Japan applied, resonating with women in their 40s nationwide.

This resulted in the success in creating the "Mysterious Beauties" market within one year last year.



Documented Results

With a budget of approximately $1 million, Wacoal was able to achieve results worth approximately $60 million in advertising with bra sales at 127% that of the previous year. Customers have returned to the underwear sections in department stores and those seeking consultation with Wacoal sales personnel, regarding anti-aging benefits of underwear, have increased.

With its validation of positive self-investment called "Mysterious Beauties’ consumption," Wacoal has succeeded in the stimulation of the consumption of anti-aging products overall.