In 2013, Neutrogena set out to launch their new sunscreen line – Neutrogena Beach Defense. Faced with the challenge of breaking through an already cluttered category, we wanted to focus on activating our mobile campaign based on the ideal weather conditions. However, conventional weather targeting required placing our premium brand in lackluster environments where users were typically spending mere seconds with the content.

What if we could turn on the Neutrogena Beach Defense campaign via content most popular with our audience, but only when the sun was shining?

The campaign was one of the first in the industry to utilize weather targeting without limiting a brand's advertising choices to weather content, which also allowed us to spend our media dollars only when conditions were ideal.

In addition, the Neutrogena campaign combined UV data with native mobile GPS functionality to deliver real world value. Not only did location targeting serve as a reminder of sun protection as warmer weather was breaking, the geo-fenced creative prompted our audience to an immediate action at a nearby store, or a delayed action by purchasing online for future use based on their location.

We developed an advanced mobile campaign to launch during springtime that allowed for real-time UV conditions to automatically turn on the Neutrogena Beach Defense ads. The ads would “follow the sun” across a rich variety of mobile content including entertainment, women's lifestyle, shopping, health & fitness, news and gaming.

In addition custom location data was layered around prolonged sun exposure areas such as playgrounds, parks, beaches and pools. This allowed Neutrogena Beach Defense to have a dominant presence in key out-of-home locations.

Finally, geofencing around key retail locations dynamically triggered a coupon offer with directions to the nearest store.

The campaign was incredibly successful in launching the new Beach Defense brand into a highly competitive category. Audiences exposed to our mobile campaign demonstrated higher consideration for Neutrogena Beach Defense than incumbent, competitive products.

Most important, within the first few months of the product launch, the mobile campaign exceeded expectations in awareness and intent to buy: awareness of the Neutrogena Beach Defense grew from zero to 63% and purchase intent rose by 43%.