MiraLAX wanted to transform its image from a mere modern laxative to a relevant gut wellness brand, while crafting a campaign that would destigmatize the issue of constipation. Shifting perceptions of the brand from an “embarrassing” necessity to an essential part of an on-trend, holistic wellness routine – all while driving cultural relevance.
With strong data citing the disproportionate amount of stress women are facing, MiraLAX sought to uncover additional insight into why women are more stressed and its impact on their bodies to help direct its strategy. Through a commissioned survey, the brand not only confirmed that women are, in fact, more stressed than their male counterparts (85% report routinely having stress on their minds), but that women are also more than twice as likely as men to poop less than three times a week, further reinforcing the connection between stress and constipation.
With these insights laying the foundation, “The Gut Gap” was born, a term coined by the brand to describe the high frequency of stress and, ultimately, constipation that women are facing.
Although stress and constipation are a commonality among women, MiraLAX knew it would need to find a way to destigmatize the issue to help make its target audience feel heard and less alone. Uncovering that nearly half (48%) of women surveyed cite laughing as one of the top ways they reduce stress, the brand determined it could help women lighten their loads through laughter. Thus, MiraLAX reunited Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, the hilarious real-life BFFs and stars of Broad City (a show beloved by millennial women), to bring relief. Known for their unapologetic attitude toward undesirable topics and for their many conversations taking place from the bathroom on the show, Abbi and Ilana served as the perfect spokespeople.
After the campaign launched with a “Constipation Conversation" brunch, the traditional TV spots and press, MiraLAX turned to Linqia to sustain the conversation on social media and continue to close the Gut Gap for millennial women everywhere.
Taking the excitement and buzz from the initial launch and continuing the momentum, Linqia designed an influencer campaign to educate more millennial women on the Gut Gap and empower them to prioritize their health.
The humorous tone of the initial launch was first extended by partnering with celebrity comedian Robyn Schall. As the lead spokesperson and someone who was already a fan of MiraLAX, Robyn took to the streets of New York City, asking people if they knew about the Gut Gap, how stress affected women, and that they could feel relief with MiraLAX. Her on the street interviews resulted in hilarious content on the “taboo” topic of constipation.
In addition to Robyn, Linqia and MiraLAX also partnered with influencers across the country to target key stressor groups, like parents and travelers, educating their followers on the Gut Gap. With creative storytelling and custom props, they provided authentic testimonials on how MiraLAX helped them get through stressful periods of life.
This approach successfully raised awareness of the Gut Gap, empowered women to prioritize their gut health, and encouraged open conversations about a previously cringey topic. The campaign's innovative use of influencers and comedy across social media helped to break down barriers and provide women with the information and support they needed to improve their overall well-being.
Exceeding both client and category benchmarks, the combination of partnering with a celebrity, enlisting an army of influencers across the country, and focusing on the humor of the situation paid big dividends. Robyn’s Instagram story and reel Engagement Rate surpassed Bayer’s benchmarks by 5.03X and 6.91X, and she received over 360 comments and direct messages from her followers.
The parent and travel influencers also surpassed industry benchmarks, and paid media amplification on their content delivered over 6 million impressions with an incredibly strong video click-through rate of 11.2%.
Linqia also conducted a Brand Lift Study which saw positive lift across all brand metrics and perceptions with notable impact in awareness, purchase intent, and the key message of “works naturally with water in your body to unblock your gut.” The results of the study included.
Overall, the Linqia influencer campaign continued the momentum from the initial launch and drove an upward lift across MiraLAX key differentiators and beliefs. It helped to close the Gut Gap, destigmatized the topic of constipation amongst millennial women, and encouraged women to prioritize their gut health.
