Kiehl's China launched Panda Wonderland with new IP Panda KK

Jun 30

In June 2022, Kiehl's China cooperated with Shanshui Nature Conservation Center, launching the project "Cleansing Skin and Cleansing Sources". It initiated the Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser Panda KK Public Welfare Limited Edition, and donated part of its net profit to the wild panda habitat water purification action, adding water purification devices and cleaning up water waste to improve the ecological environment of the habitat. The campaign is cited as one of the successful examples of the combination of online and offline campaigns to engage Chinese consumers.

Online campaigns Warm-up

IP Character in collaboration with artist

Kiehl's first panda IP - panda KK - officially debuted. Kiehl's specially invited well-known cartoonist 坛九 to create, and brought panda KK public welfare limited edition Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser. From 2012 to 2022, Kiehl's has been working with Shanshui Nature Conservation Center for 11 consecutive years, donating part of the net profit from the sales of the limited-edition Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser for panda public welfare every year to improve the ecological environment of the wild panda habitat.

Weibo "daka" to engage consumers

In China, "daka" - clocking in - has become a fashionable way for people to stick to a habit, and share with their community on social media. From June 1st to 14th, Kiehl's teamed up with panda KK to launch a public welfare call, inviting everyone to join and share their knowledge and thoughts on wild giant pandas. Kiehl's "Mr. Bones" (the brand's account name on Weibo) also published a daily quiz about wild pandas, interesting popular science, guardian stories, etc. During the online event, participants will disseminate the new knowledge obtained on the official blog in the form of original Weibo.

@kiehlschina
*China* Official
*Weibo followers:710,000 Engagements:1,208*

@Liu Haoran
*China Actor*
*Weibo followers:32,500,000 Engagements:47,600*

*@- Babeei張張-*
*China Influencer*
*Weibo followers:1,100,000 Engagements:1,100*

Offline Pop-up Event in Chengdu

On the 12th, Kiehl's released the event information that from 6/14 to 6/19, the "Cleansing and Purifying Natural Symbiosis" created by Mr. Bones and Panda KK will be airborne in the city of Pandas - Chengdu. The brand posted on Weibo:

"Stepping into the cool resort on Hongxing Road Pedestrian Street, you can take a photo with the panda KK, learn about the original intention of Kiehl's 11 years of panda charity, and have an in-depth understanding of the Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser; you can also make a green wish and become Kiehl's charity partner, and DIY exclusive image. There are also limited samples of Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser and iced coffee, for free! "

Kiehl's transformed the appearance of the "Panda Oasis" pop-up exhibition into a clear and cool "Amazon rainforest" shape, every participant can immensely experience the pure habitat that wild pandas depend on, explore Kiehl’s Eleven-Year Panda Public Welfare Road, and experience the super-purifying power of the Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser. The creative black and white zebra pattern floor stickers at the entrance of the exhibition are unique and eye-catching. The three-dimensional Kiehl's LOGO and the panda KK pattern seem to be invited, leading the participants into the cool city "oasis". The exhibition hall is composed of six exploration areas, K-I-E-H-L-S. Participants can collect adventure stickers by punching in the six areas to get the exclusive gifts carefully prepared by Kiehl's, and experience a unique green exploration journey.

Some of the pop-up highlights include:

Environmental-Protection House

The 11-year public welfare story of Kiehl's and wild pandas is presented here. By the end of 2021, the campaign recorded a total of 138,430 photos and 43,266 videos, in 34,167 days. With 11 years of long-term support from Kiehl's, the conservation of wild panda habitats has achieved remarkable results, covering a total area of 722 square kilometers, benefiting more than 80,000 local community residents.

Lab In Rainforest

Kiehl's is also experimenting with its cleansing and oil-controlling effects. Customers can apply the basic cleansing and Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser to the ostrich egg and wipe it off after standing for five minutes. It can be seen that the toner in the pores of the eggshell using the Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser has been easily absorbed by its powerful cleansing power, leaving no residue. Customers can also use scientific instruments to detect the oiliness of the skin before and after using the Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser.

Spokesperson Plan

Near the end of the journey, all participants can join the Green Planet program with Kiehl's and Panda KK by using hand-painted postcards to DIY their personalized images and messages on their thoughts about environmental protection. Besides customers are also encouraged to recycle the empty bottles of used Kiehl’s products, as a reward, they can redeem panda coffee for free at the event.

GREENEXT'S TAKE

Kiehl's Panda Wonderland includes a few highlights in communicating with Chinese consumers about the brand's long-time effort in improving the ecological environment of pandas' habitat. It started with a successful IP character marketing campaign. The brand launched its first panda IP, creating opportunities for unique storytelling, which is also easier to cross borders and be loved than simple consumer goods. Secondly, its high online engagement is also worth mentioning. It creates daily knowledge-based sharing on Chinese social media, with celebrities and influencers involved to encourage consumers to share their points of view in the warm-up phase for their offline campaign. Besides, it also provided an interesting offline experience - creating a sustainability-focused journey for consumers to experience the brand's efforts in improving the ecological environment of pandas' habitat, while encouraging consumers to embrace an eco-friendly lifestyle through small actions such as recycling empty bottles of skincare products, etc.

Highlighted Campaign

Danie LIU