Strong and gentle

 
Lifestyle KSB/SJ has created a new brand image for Similasan with a special focus on the Lohas target group. 
Lohas stands for "Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability". The members of this lifestyle group basically want to consume and live "ethically and ecologically correct". However, they do not want to be confused with the first generation of fundamental ecologists. Lohas attach great importance to good design and enjoyment. It is no coincidence that "lohas" also means "happy life" in Chinese. In the USA, around 30 percent of consumers are said to be of this type, in Germany 15 percent and in Switzerland probably a similar proportion to the USA, according to estimates by Krieg, Schlupp, Bürge / Springer & Jacoby. For the advertising agency, Lohas are therefore more than just a target group, they are a growing social majority, and it is precisely this zeitgeist that KSB/SJ's campaign for Similasan is aimed at.
Similasan is based on the findings of the German doctor Samuel Hahnemann, who founded homeopathy between 1755 and 1843. Homeopathy does not follow the formula or drug dosage "the stronger, the more effective", but uses massively diluted and simultaneously potentized active ingredients.
 
Health megatrendThe low dosage of active ingredients meets a major need. Or to put it another way: "It fully meets one of the most important components of the health megatrend, which in turn has a decisive effect on the new Lohas target group", as the two CD Flo Wacker and Uwe Schlupp explain.
More and more people are looking for unproblematic yet effective means of treating an ailment. In other words, they are looking for medicines that have no side effects and are not harmful and that are compatible with other medicines that may need to be taken.
Similasan medicines meet precisely these contemporary Lohas requirements. The word Similasan comes from the Latin words "simile" and "sanum" and means "something similar that makes healthy". More and more people are realizing that this is not an empty promise. And so Similasan has become the market leader in the field of homeopathic remedies in Switzerland and is also extremely successful in the USA, Austria and Holland, for example.
The success story began in 1975 with the first product, a hay fever remedy. Similasan now offers 80 medicines and 33 individual remedies for a wide range of everyday complaints. The fact that Similasan is easy to use yourself - the technical term is self-medication - also contributes significantly to Similasan's success. "And, of course, the fact that Similasan works even if you don't believe in it", as the advertisers are convinced.
This central insight was also the springboard for the new brand identity, which consists of a large number of motifs. For the time being, eight motifs are going on air, with more to follow.
Atmospheric imagesThe motifs use atmospheric images by Frédéric Auerbach to gently suggest topics such as hay fever, travel complaints, skin irritations in summer or flu and colds in winter. This is contrasted by headlines that confidently and clearly refute the common prejudices against homeopathic remedies or play with these prejudices. Each appearance is rounded off by the new brand claim: "Strong, because it's gentle."
Special product advertisements and a variety of POS measures have been created to match the brand image: from street stands, displays and floor stickers to counter mats and change plates. The motifs have recently been seen nationally in consumer magazines, special interest titles and in pharmacies and drugstores. The campaign will continue with seasonal highlights throughout 2008 and 2009.
Andreas Panzeri