Less than a year after GSK’s spinoff consumer health unit Haleon launched, the new company is beginning to unveil what it means by its “everyday health” mantra.
Haleon held an interactive, in-person “Hello Haleon” event in New York City on Wednesday meant to debut the brand and its consumer healthcare products, which range from Advil to Sensodyne toothpaste.
The event featured a conversation with Tan France, British fashion designer and star of Netflix’s Queer Eye, as well as a walk-through of interactive, self care-inspired installations that felt more like an art opening than a marketing event.
Hello Haleon’s purpose was to bring the company and its variety of products to the forefront of people’s minds as more consumers take health into their own hands, according to Katie Williams, chief marketing officer at Haleon.
“Sometimes when you launch a new company, it’s hard to connect that company and its vision and purpose with the brands you’re bringing to market from a consumer perspective,” Williams told MM+M. “This was our opportunity to do that. [We wanted to] introduce our company, but also connect people through our portfolio and give you all some help on how to go on your own self care journey.”
Interactions boasted some of Haleon’s most well-known brands, including Emergen-C, Advil, Centrum, Excedrin, Theraflu and Chapstick. In one installation, Haleon touted its Emergen-C Crystals for on-the-go “immune support,” which can be taken like candy without water.
In another instance, wellness experts explained how stretching and preventive measures can help keep your joints healthy, in tandem with products like Voltaren gel. Additionally, in a pop-up bedroom and bathroom, Haleon execs touted the benefits of a nighttime routine of brushing your teeth with Sensodyne toothpaste before bed.
The goal was to educate consumers not only about the launch of new products – but also on how to incorporate preventive health and self care actions in tandem with those products. This comes as part of a larger recent push in the industry to take on a growing healthcare-at-home sphere.
The high point of the event, however, was a one hour panel featuring France – who spoke about his own self care plans as a recent father.
France is famous for helping people choose their personal style and update their sense of fashion on the makeover show Queer Eye.
“I am all about fashion being a way to help gain confidence and look and feel your very best everyday,” France said at the panel. “I always encourage people to own an outfit — to make it their own by constructing each piece in a way that feels natural and comfortable.”
France continued by saying that “owning it goes beyond that.”
“What I’ve learned being a father is that prioritizing my health can be difficult. Sometimes, self care falls by the wayside. But if we’re intentional about our health, we have the opportunity to ‘own it.’ So much of health and wellness today is noise — I’m sure you’re inundated with options to what will make your life easier,” he said. “For me, it’s been about whittling down and making sure I’m using the right products to make my life easier and more enjoyable. This helps us choose healthy behaviors that sustain us over time.”
Williams noted that choosing France as the face of the event was a natural choice, given his philosophy around self care.
“As a company focused on empowering yourself to own your health — we thought it was a great combination,” Williams said. “He’s a dad, he’s going through life changes himself, he’s very personable. When we think about people we partner with — whether it’s celebrities, creators, or expert healthcare providers, we want them to be connected to self care and empowerment.”
France is yet another Queer Eye cast member using their platform to advance healthcare ad campaigns.
Last year, ViiV recruited Karamo Brown to lead its People Talk PrEP, a series of conversations about sex positivity and their experiences with the drug.
Additionally, Jonathan Van Ness served as the cover star of Verywell Health’s Preventive Health Issue.
For its part, Haleon has had a promising start since spinning off.
In September, Haleon released its first earnings report since its spinoff from GSK, reporting revenue growth of 13.4% in H1 2022. The company cited several key products — like Theraflu, Advil and Centrum — as being drivers of that growth.
