The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) is the largest, most influential, and most representative dermatology group in the United States. With a membership of more than 19,000 physicians worldwide, the AAD represents virtually all practicing dermatologists in the United States and a growing number of international dermatologists.
The "Your Dermatologist Knows" campaign aimed to secure and maintain dermatologists’ position in the public mind as THE skin experts they think of first when it comes to skin, hair, and nails. It showcased that “Your Dermatologist Knows” the right answers to your questions and concerns about your skin health, whether it’s the right way to care for your skin, how your skin health relates to your overall health, or the right therapies for diseases ranging from the “simple” to the serious.
The campaign targeted U.S. consumers, with a particular focus on women ages 25-35 who are beginning to take healthcare decisions more seriously and who are or are likely to become primary health decision-makers for their households. The AAD sought a new agency to help them bring "Your Dermatologist Knows" to life with a robust social media strategy.
Ignite Social Media's job was to bring the campaign to life on social media platforms. The strategy was designed to target women aged 25-35 with "edutainment" content on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, and Facebook. The main social objectives included:
One of our primary creative goals in making content for this campaign was to have people think, “Wow. AAD did this?” We wanted to make content that surprised people, jumped into trends, educated, and entertained, all while staying on-brand and on-message. We tackled each piece of content individually, from the ground up, asking the following questions:
Then, we started creating and breaking content down into a mix of various ongoing content series, styles, and trends. We created a content series of definitions of different skin conditions with symbolic representations from nature — something fresh, eye-catching, and something we knew could cover uncomfortable topics in beautiful ways. From influencer-style skin care tips and ASMR videos to using things like baby blocks, coloring sheets, kids' toys, and more, we injected trends and unexpected elements into the content we created for "Your Dermatologist Knows." On top of trending items, we also used Artificial Intelligence (AI) for several content pieces. One of the challenges was getting faces into the content, so we generated several using different AI programs. With a blend of AI and Photoshop, we gave those faces different skin conditions to educate our audience on identification, treatment, and more.
Additionally, we ran a series of influencer flights where we amplified the "Your Dermatologist Knows” message by partnering with trusted voices in the social community. We partnered with influencers affected by dermatological issues such as eczema and melanoma, and we helped support skin cancer awareness by using the power of the influencers’ personal stories.
You can tell it’s the AAD, but the methods of storytelling and education were always different. By mixing things up, we found new ways to share the message. The content was supported by a comprehensive paid social media strategy that leaned into high-performing channels and units for the target demographic as well as taking advantage of unique targeting opportunities on each channel.
“Your Dermatologist Knows” successfully reached over 30 million women between the ages of 25-35 with key messaging designed to showcase dermatologists as the experts for skin, hair, and nail concerns. Leveraging reels, video, and static image assets, campaign content delivered over 155 million impressions highlighting fun and innovative ways to communicate complicated topics in an easy-to-understand manner. While the primary objective was awareness, the creative also proved highly effective as it generated:
When completing a survey regarding the effectiveness of the campaign messaging, participants indicated that the creative “taught [them] some new perspectives on the expertise of dermatologist,” “did a good job communicating [dermatologists are the experts when it comes to skin, hair, and nail concerns],” and was done so in a tone that felt “personal, warm, and welcoming.” The “Your Dermatologist Knows” campaign initiative delivered an effective, engaging, and potentially life-changing message to millions of women in the interest of improving their health through skin, hair, and nail care.
