CLIENT: JOHNSON & JOHNSON | RELEASED: AUG 2006
CHALLENGE
Johnson & Johnson was launching a new product line called Johnson’s Buddies – hygienic products for toddlers – made with Johnson & Johnson’s No More Tears formula that parents have grown to trust. J&J challenged Fuel Industries to create an online experience to provide a little entertainment and pull on the emotional strings of mothers, showing that J&J understands what goes on during children’s bath time.
STRATEGY
Mothers were the key target. Introducing the product successfully involved educating mothers about its existence in a unique and memorable way. Since women in the target age demographic are also the sweet spot for the casual games audience, presenting the brand in a classic timed strategy casual game format similar to Diner Dash would meet the objectives. In the game, users help an onscreen character perform a variety of tasks, getting faster and more involved with each level of difficulty.
CREATIVE & EXECUTION
Players are challenged to pick up roaming toddlers, put them into an empty tub, and wash as many of them as possible before time runs out. Mothers interact with the entire product line in the context of bathing toddlers – who laugh with glee when enjoying the fun of bath time, creating a level of emotional engagement in gameplay.
The style of animation hails back to the feature length classics – doe-eyed children splash and giggle to the beat of a bouncy bass jazz line. Each of the toddlers has thier own unique personality – and are multiracial, reflecting the diversity of the Canadian audience targeted by the game.
While the game is geared towards mothers themselves, there is also a slower mode playable with the toddler so the game can be enjoyed together. When the game is over, players can download a coupon off the site, which acts as both a call-to-action and campaign tracking tool.
PERFORMANCE
Although specific results are confidential, the game surpassed year-end traffic targets in a little over six weeks. As the only consumer-centered promotion for the product line, Johnson's Buddies maintained awareness and market share while the competition poured millions into traditional advertising.
