The story. Established in 1985, Australian Gold is a fast-growing suncare brand. Sold in more than 50 countries, it is recognised by its mascot “Sydney”, a koala bear riding the waves on a golden brown surfboard. The Australian Gold brand is owned by New Sunshine, a manufacturer of tanning and skincare products, based in Indianapolis, US.
The challenge. Australian Gold decided to extend its outdoor suncare products to the mass market this year. But there were already more than 100 established sunscreen brands including Banana Boat, Coppertone and Hawaiian Tropic, as well as private labels such as Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid. The goal was, as chief executive Stephen Hilbert put it, to introduce the brand to the American market “in an entertaining, modern, and memorable way”.
The strategy. Australian Gold’s strategy had two components: develop a distinct brand message and communicate it to the public. To differentiate its brand, Australian Gold developed a campaign, ”Live the gold life”, which epitomised beaches, sun and fun. Such lifestyle branding was believed to be more effective than emphasising functional benefits of the product, such as UVA/UVB protection, water resistance and purity.