Irish Spring

What they asked us to do ...

In a quest to capture the minds – and showers – of guys nationwide, Irish Spring Body Wash turned to Cohn & Wolfe to create a memorable launch campaign that would drive trial among a younger target. A few years behind the competition, the program needed an unconventional approach to grab consumer and media attention.
 

What we did ...

Drawing on trademark Irish imagery and a March arrival at retail, Cohn & Wolfe crafted a “Get Irish” campaign to help guys freshen up and then hit the town for St. Patrick’s Day. The campaign began with an unexpected partnership with Zagat Survey to create its first-ever guide to America’s top Irish hot spots, which was unveiled on a nine-market “Get Irish” tour. At each tour stop, lovely lasses in green bathrobes hit commuter hubs, entertainment districts and sporting events reaching out to guys with copies of the guide, samples of Irish Spring Body Wash and a message to check out www.getirishnow., the brand’s new microsite. Online, the microsite delivered a brand experience that also reinforced the schedule for the tour and featured content from the Zagat guide.  The two-week blitz created consumer buzz and brought the brand into media coverage way beyond the typical grooming stories.
 

Our results ...

The media results came not from “Irish luck” but from a clever media strategy that centered on owning the two weeks leading up to St. Patrick’s Day. During that time, the program blitzed nine cities with body wash and pub guide samples and generated media coverage nationwide in such outlets as The Today Show, Fox ‘N Friends, Maxim, USA Today, About.com, LA Daily News, Washington Post, Newsday, Boston Globe, Metro and dozens of online outlets, among others. Cohn & Wolfe delivered 140% of the client’s PR goal and helped drive a record number of visitors to the brand’s website. The strong launch campaign helped the brand reach its share of market goal for the year in just one month.