Elmers: Slime Worthy
A national campaign that intersects wellness and creativity and position slime as a self-care tool for adults.
The Takeaway:
Take a cultural moment and keep it going through strategic innovation, cultural relevance, comms planning and product innovation.
The Ask:
Keep the Slime Trend Going in 2020
Take the 2017 slime trend and keep it going in 2020 and create a comms plan around it.
Problem:
Slime is Viewed as a Toy for Children
You imagine a gooey, colorful, crazy kids toy and probably has a lot to do with the fact that the slime phenomenon that took the world by storm in first took off with kids.
Slime in 2017
This trend started on Instagram and YouTube and saw an equal split when it came to male to female audiences and the majority of interest came from those in the 25-34 age group.
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Elmer’s sales grew 25% in 2016 and another 50% in the first quarter of 2017.
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Slime in 2020
Today, slime is more than just a toy for kids.
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People are building lucrative businesses and supporting their families through their slime concoctions. Slime is being used in various industries such as fashion, museums and health + wellness.
Opportunity:
Slime + Self Care
Make slime another tool in your self care tool kit / regimen, but a self care tool that you can’t live without. It’s about identifying moments in life that are “slime worthy”
1. People today are more experiencing higher levels of stress
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2. Millennials are spending 2X as much on self-care products and integrating it into their daily routine
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3. The self-care industry is growing and shows no signs of slowing down
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4. Brands are going to be looked to as the resource to help consumers take on new approaches to self-care
Comms Plan
We set up three waves for the campaign that will help Elmers stay relevant with various tactics. As the conversation portion starts to decline, we hit them with a retail push. We will keep it relevant with efforts in the third wave that will keep the trend lasting.
Announce
Market
Maintain
Wave 1:
Introducing “Slime Worthy”
The launch will be fully virtual for the first three months.
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Goal:
Get Slime Worthy's name out there, and get people talking. Get conversation started around slime and self-care.
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It'll start on an Instagram profile for Slime Worthy that will
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Help foster creativity, ideas and engagement
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Use influencers in the health and wellness sector
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Use artists to showcase slime.
Wave 2:
Market “Vitamin S” + Slime Therapy
There is something just as important as the way we talk to audience.
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Goal:
A change in voice will help Elmer's align with the target audience, and our influencers will be great trendsetters for us.
Vitamin S is designed to be a sleek and calming package and product that will hit the market after the first wave
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“Luxury slime” won’t have to cost more than the glittery, childish gue product that Elmer’s is making
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It’s more about have the right look, and being in the right place
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The launch Vitamin S will be at Urban Outfitters or Anthropologie
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Elmer's will partner with Creative and Wellness studios to host “Slime Therapy” workshops.
Wave 3:
Maintain the Trend
Inspired by the success of Pantone's “color of the year” followers can submit package designs and texture ideas each month.
Goal:
To extend the product life of Vitamin S to include texture of the month
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We will place these slime creations in places with high foot traffic and stress:
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Vitamin S vending machine placement in stressful and high traffic situations such as airports, train stations, schools, colleges, shopping centers and work offices
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Have people send in submissions for texture of the month via social and Elmers website
Measuring Success
Product Sales:
Glue and Slime
Website
Traffic
Social
Engagement
Workshop
Participation
Texture of
the month
submissions
Earned
Media
Barriers/Tasks/Tactics
Barrier:
People are unaware of the benefits of slime
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Task:
Make people aware of the benefits of slime
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Tactics:
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Create Instagram focused on self care and slime
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Influencer content to demonstrate
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Sponsored content to spread the Slime Worthy mission
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Barrier:
People see this product meant for children
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Task:
Bring slime to target in a way that appeals to them
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Tactics:
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Release new product line inspired by products our consumer is buying
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@slimeworthy content tackles issues of young adulthood
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Workshops cater to 21+ audiences
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Barrier:
Keeping slime top of mind when it comes to self-care
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Task:
Stay relevant and enter target’s routine
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Tactics:
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Keep followers and artists engaged with “Texture of the Month”
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Place Slime Vending Machines in populated, typically stressful areas for new audiences
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Continue workshops to increase exposure and education
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Team:
Shannon Gerety: Strategist
Marnie Abraham: Strategist