TL;DR

Aspercreme owned the idea that defying aging stereotypes can be pretty damn interesting. So we partnered with Spinal Tap II: The End Continues to prove that aging isn't just cool. It rocks.

The result: +6% increase in base sales in the week following the partnership, +33% organic social engagement, & a Silver Pencil.

THE PROBLEM

Aspercreme was the #7 topical pain relief brand, losing sales & distribution in an increasingly commoditized category.

Consumers saw little difference between topical pain brands, while competitors competed almost exclusively on functional benefits.

Aspercreme needed to become more than another pain relief product on the shelf. It needed a reason to matter in culture & create a stronger connection with its 55+ audience.

THE STRATEGY

“ACT YOUR AGE”

We flipped one of aging's most familiar phrases on its head.

Instead of using “Act Your Age” to tell people what they shouldn't do, we turned it into a rallying cry for people 55+ to defy expectations, stay active & do whatever the hell they want.

The platform gave Aspercreme permission to celebrate the unexpected & challenge the stereotypes that make aging feel limiting.

THE CONNECTION

So we found a cultural property that was already doing exactly that.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues picks up 40 years after the 1984 cult classic This Is Spinal Tap, following the world's most eccentric rock band as they head out on one final tour.

Only now, the band is older, achier & still very much not ready to act their age.

Rather than have four famous actors hold a tube of Aspercreme & deliver talking points, we asked a more interesting question:

What would an aging rock band's tour rider look like? & would Aspercreme make the cut?

Rock bands have been making outrageous tour riders for decades. So we created one for Spinal Tap, complete with a jar of London fog, a 17th-century Hungarian dictionary and, most importantly, Aspercreme.

We then brought the idea to life in the film's iconic mockumentary style, using the actors' signature deadpan humor & improvisation to make the work feel less like an ad and more like a lost scene from the movie.

The result was content that launched across social, YouTube & cinema, turning a product partnership into an entertainment experience that fans actually wanted to watch.

We turned “Act Your Age” up to eleven.

THE IMPACT

We turned the campaign results up to eleven.

• +6% base sales in the week following the partnership

• +33% organic social engagement vs. benchmark

• 63% completion rate on our 30-second skippable YouTube ad

• 53% completion rate on the long-form hero film

• 10% of opening-weekend moviegoers across 2,000+ theaters were familiar with the partnership

& the partnership didn't just capture attention. It earned it.

THE RECOGNITION

Gold Clio · Silver Clio · Silver Pencil · Bronze Pencil · Cannes Lions Shortlist