Brand
How Cetaphil Is Tapping “Dadfluencers” to Market Skincare to Men
Drugstore skincare brand Cetaphil is pursuing a new marketing strategy to reach male consumers who are increasingly interested in establishing skincare routines. The company launched its “Made for Phil” campaign this week, featuring humorous videos and unconventional product packaging aimed at making skincare appeal to traditionally masculine interests.
A key part of the push involves partnering with over 100 male influencers, including several so-called “dadfluencers” whose content focuses on family life. Cetaphil mailed these creators custom “Ceta Six Pack” packages containing six bottles of its products designed to look like six-packs of beer.
“We’re partnering with six influencers on sponsored social posts over the next several days featuring these six-pack-inspired PR packages,” Tara Loftis, Global President of Skincare Brands at Cetaphil’s parent company Galderma, told Ad Age.
Some of the influencers Cetaphil is working with are Richard and Carlos Seigler-Carter of @therealdadsofnewyork and Eduardo Alvarez, aka @bestdad_ceo. Their content largely centers around raising families.
“Men are caring more about their skin than they ever have before,” according to Loftis. She said dermatologists have told Cetaphil they’ve seen an “unprecedented number of men” coming to appointments asking for skincare recommendations or bringing existing products for feedback in the past year.
The marketing push comes after the brand noticed a recent spike in interest from male consumers. Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette exemplified this in a viral NFL interview where he enthusiastically shared his favorite Cetaphil products. The brand quickly reached out to partner with him on sponsored content.
“We DM’d him and he responded within 15 minutes,” Loftis said in the interview with Ad Age. “He was so excited.” Legette is one of the six influencers creating sponsored posts this week. Cetaphil also plans additional collaborative content where he interviews other men about their routines.
The campaign includes two videos Cetaphil shared on social media this week. The “CetaGrill” skit depicts men using a grill with spots for inserting Cetaphil bottles, while the other shows the “Ceta Six Pack” packaging. Both blend skincare content with stereotypically masculine scenarios like grilling or watching sports.
“You’re going to see echoes of this as we move forward in our overarching creative strategy—the fact that men deserve to be present in skincare campaigns as well,” Loftis told Ad Age.
While the “Ceta Six Pack” packages were only created for the influencer marketing push, Cetaphil is running a social media giveaway for the made-for-video “CetaGrill” prop.
