Rejoice smooths the kinks in your hair...and your marriage?

Client: Rejoice (飘柔)

Agency: Leo Burnett Hong Kong (李奥贝纳香港)

Market: Greater China

Scope: Online video titled 《爱•不释手》, microsite

Background: Known for being a haircare brand that advocates smoothness, Rejoice is making a link between keeping hair smooth and keeping love alive, in times where socio-economic growth comes hand in hand with an alarming rise in divorce rates in China.

Launched four weeks ago, the campaign's main film walks the viewer through the story of a couple about to get a divorce as they revisit the milestones of their relationship before they got married. The film has now been viewed more than 40 million times, according to the agency.

Leo Burnett also created the hashtag 'I believe in love again’ #我又相信爱情了# for social media and used trivia, infographics, and key opinion leaders to spark an online conversation and push viewership for the film. Consumers were invited to share special moments in their relationships and geo-tag their locations as well.

Press release quote: Terence Lam (林浩贤), haircare marketing general manager, P&G Greater China: “We believe that no matter how complicated relationships can be, there’s always a way to smooth [sic] things up. As a brand devoted to smoothness and love, this is a position worth taking, having a strong point of view on this cultural phenomena."

Comments: The estranged wife in the film asks for farewell hugs from her soon-to-be-ex-husband in the month preceding final divorce proceedings, but of course she is not too estranged from her hair in the meantime. With every close-contact hug and every inevitable sniff of her Rejoice-washed hair, the husband gradually changes his mind, which is the ultimate 'problem-solving' effect of the ad. A tad subtle, but a refreshing departure from the usual "smell nice and snag a mate" approach of other shampoos. We hope the target audience gets it.