Allergan’s latest target for Botox Cosmetic is millennials. If there's any doubt, just look at the crowd of 20-somethings in its newly launched TV ad: Young people exaggerate their facial expressions—surprised, embarrassed or laughing—with no noticeable frown lines or forehead wrinkles. The ad notes: “Look like you with fewer lines.”
The campaign, Allergan’s first specifically meant for millennial men and women, is a bid to modernize the brand and appeal to the up-and-coming younger market. Allergan is, in fact, riding the aesthetics category wave it created as it sweeps up millennials, whose use of botulinum toxin—and specifically the Botox brand—is climbing.
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In the past five years, Botox injections have increased by 22% among 22- to 37-year-olds, according to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. The organization’s facial plastic surgeon members reported the trend is led in part by an emphasis on early care or “pre-juvenation” among consumers in their 20s and 30s. The average age of Botox's current core consumer is 46.
“As the category leader who created this market, it’s our job to continue to educate consumers about their aesthetic choices,” said Carrie Strom, Allergan's senior vice president in the U.S. for medical aesthetics, in a press release.
"We know there are 25 million people currently considering injectable treatments in the U.S. today," Strom said, "and the most common reason preventing them from getting treated is the fear of looking unnatural.”
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She added that the campaign's goal is to tap into that desire for a natural look and show customers Botox delivers subtle results so users still look like themselves.
While the new campaign is airing on TV, it also includes a strong digital push; Allergan said it will shift Botox media spending to focus more on digital versus TV this year. The company has enjoyed a long run as the dominant player in the botulinum toxin market—sales topped $2 billion in 2018 and increased by 14% over 2017—but it now faces pending rival treatments from Revance Therapeutics and Evolus.