Thanksgiving is next week, which means the holiday season — and its associated stress — is about to kick into high gear.
Given that this is typically a stressful time of year for most Americans, Excedrin wants to provide headache relief for those traveling near and far for the holidays.
That’s why the Haleon brand launched the ‘Tis Headache Relief campaign Tuesday morning, which runs through Thursday.
Excedrin’s experiential marketing push empathizes with the road warriors during the holiday season and seeks to offer stress relief rather than mere product promotion.
The key components of ‘Tis Headache Relief are limited edition travel kits tailored to four specific personas of travelers, including those Traveling with Kids, the Passenger Prince(ss) Envy, Coming Home Cringe and Airport Dad Dilemmas.
The travel-inspired stress-relief suitcases are supplied with Excedrin Extra Strength in addition to items like hand wipes, earplugs, Apple AirTags, heated neck wraps and infinity pillows, among others.
The packs are available on the brand’s website and will be released via daily drops in addition to being promoted on its social media accounts while supplies last.
View this post on Instagram
‘Tis Headache Relief aims to connect with consumers on an emotional level during the stressful holiday travel season, according to Peter Song, brand director at Excedrin.
He cited a recent survey that found just over three-quarters of Americans have chosen not to travel during the holiday season due to travel-related headaches.
The timely marketing push takes a slightly humorous approach with its messaging but Song emphasized that the brand team is sensitive to the issue of stress and the ensuing headaches.
Excedrin’s goal is to provide value to consumers beyond headache relief, he noted, which is why the suitcases feature additional wellness products to put a positive spin on a stressful situation.
He added that leaning into experiential marketing opportunities is a way to differentiate the brand as well as increase consumer recall and connection beyond just the product.
While tracking the success of experiential marketing is challenging, he said the goal is to see consumers talking about Excedrin in a different, more positive way. Key metrics the team will be following during the brief activation include consumer engagement and brand conversation on social media.
To achieve this goal of generating a positive, memorable experience for consumers, Song said the creative approach had to be more consumer-centric — focusing on the common challenges people face while traveling — rather than simply leading with Excedrin’s product offerings.
“If we can connect with the holidays and people remember our promotion during the holiday travel time, it makes all the sense in the world,” he said.
In an era where competing for eyeballs and attention is at a premium, it’s important for health brands to message effectively beyond simply differentiating themselves from the competition.
Song said he believes that the long-term benefits of building brand equity through unique experiences outweigh the short-term costs.
He portrayed experiential marketing as an invaluable way for Excedrin to foster more meaningful emotional connections with consumers beyond just product promotion.
“When building equity, it can seem like it costs more or it’s more difficult, but the benefit and the return, I think, is just tenfold,” he said.
This story first appeared on MM+M.