OBJECTIVES OF THE CAMPAIGN 

Brief 

To give back to nature, what we take from it is the very foundation of Ayurveda, a guiding principle of Forest Essentials, the pioneer of luxurious Ayurveda. With community service inherent in its DNA, the brand started its journey of giving back to society through the institution of Project Paathshala in 2016, an empowering CSR initiative in partnership with Simple Education Foundation (SEF, an NGO in New Delhi) to provide underprivileged children with access to education. Adding a new chapter to its journey, the brand wished to shine the spotlight on a young girl’s journey to womanhood and identified Maleesha Kharwa, a 15-year-old girl from the slums to be the face of ‘BECAUSE YOUR DREAMS MATTER’ a new initiative steered by a vision to create a better future for young teenage girls like her.

A community outreach campaign was mounted to announce Forest Essentials’ initiative ‘Because Your Dreams Matter’ and aid its long-standing mission of nurturing the potential of young minds, shattering societal barriers, and fostering a world where every dream matters. Inspired by Maleesha’s indomitable spirit and visionary outlook, Forest Essentials curated a self-care ritual called ‘The Yuvati First Ritual Box.’ In line with Maleesha’s dream of making a profound impact and creating transformative experiences for others, a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of the box were directed towards Project Paathshala.

CHALLENGES

Through our research of the ecosystem, we anticipated the following challenges ahead of us:

1. Social causes by luxury brands are perceived as insincere.
2. The brand’s policy of minimal reliance on mass-paid advertising and influencer campaigns required an impactful ‘word of mouth’ for the launch.
3. In a sea of communication driven by celebrities, positioning Maleesha, a girl from humble beginnings and an unknown entity as the face of the campaign for the brand would be an uphill task.
4. A targeted and community-driven launch of the collection with Maleesha Kharwa, involving a select group of media, HNI’s, and influencers could pose the risk of backlash for promoting an underprivileged teenager at an elite gathering.

RESULTS

Measurable Results

1. Star content creator (20th April 2023): To expand the reach and engage a wider audience, Masoom Minawala, India’s pioneering Glocal content creator, was selected to share insights on the significance of Yuvati and the perseverance required to pursue dreams. A sneak peek into the product was provided, along with highlighting the limited-edition Yuvati Selection Kit available in both India and the UK.
   

   > Instagram | Reach 1.3 million | 213,047 views

2. Event Engagement (21st March 2023): A community-centric event was curated in collaboration with India’s leading parenting discovery platform, Kidsstoppress. The platform shared valuable insights with its extensive network, via Instagram, WhatsApp groups, and Facebook members. Mothers of Yuvatis were invited to participate, fostering engagement, and creating meaningful interactions during the event with Maleesha Kharwa.
   

   > Instagram | Reach 3.41 million | Exposures 140

   > Kidsstoppress | 20 Million+ Audience Tapped with 250,000 e-mailers, 50,000 WhatsApp Creatives, cumulative 14.7 lac views on Instagram, 157,000 views on YouTube and 20,000 podcast listens.

3. Launch week conversations (15th March to 20th March 2023): 11 prominent beauty and lifestyle advocates sparked conversations on Instagram about the Yuvati Selection Kit, promoting inclusivity, and supporting Project Paathshala’s education initiatives, aiming for widespread mentions and support for the campaign to uplift underprivileged communities.
   

   > The content produced was just not limited to posting on the influencer’s respective handles but used the collective reach of these creators to organically amplify the key messaging, as well as the product narrative, and pique consumer curiosity to review the formulations.

   > With a collective reach of 5.98 million, the conversation revolved around breaking societal stereotypes and empowering young girls to pursue their dreams. It was anchored by a 15-year-old, using ‘The Yuvati First Ritual Box’, a delightful self-care ritual specifically curated from the ancient wisdom of traditional skin & hair care.

4. Viral Momentum – Sustenance (May 2023): A raw, unassuming video showcasing Maleesha witnessing her campaign at the store propelled it to viral success, spreading rapidly across social media and digital platforms. The campaign’s resonance with the audience was heightened by its focus on the societal cause.
   

   > Social Media – Instagram, Twitter, YouTube | Reach 178 million | 100+ Exposures.

   > Media – National, Regional (print, online, TV) | Reach 5.6 billion | 90+ Exposures.

5. ‘Because Your Dreams Matters’ campaign drove maximum traction and reached an audience of 2.32 billion showcasing widespread community acceptance. This campaign is a benchmark since it not only changed Maleesha’s life who secured 2 Hollywood offers but sets her apart in the hearts of netzines as a hero and a youth icon for more such young girls who can dream ‘because your dream matters’.
   
   
6. The Yuvati collection is all set to impact the community for building a brighter future while breaking barriers of education and perception for Yuvatis.
   
   
7. The campaign ignited meaningful conversations and garnered influence among a wide network of celebrities, key journalists, vernacular media, industry opinion formers, content creators, and Twitteratis across India.
   
   
8. The campaign’s outreach efforts have resulted in a significant increase in social media metrics, including followers and engagement, showcasing the growing impact and reach of the brand with 70,000+ content interactions and 16.9 million impressions on social media, making it the most successful brand campaign to date, with all Yuvati-related content ranking amongst the most-interacted content at Forest Essentials, digitally and socially.
   
   
9. 100% Messaging achieved across print, online, and social media channels via evocative, stirring conversations with Direct enquiries & interest from celebrities such as Kareena Kapoor Khan, Twinkle Khanna, and Mini Mathur came via the Consultancy.
   
   
10. A raw, unassuming video uploaded on the brand’s Instagram handle showcasing Maleesha witnessing her campaign as a core pillar of Forest Essentials’ in-store VM, immediately gained widespread attention across the country with a current viewership of 7.6 million.
    
    
11. Maleesha’s viral video achieved 175% social media engagement, surpassing Forest Essentials’ average of 0.14%.
    
    
12. Print & Online:
    > 300+ exposures in leading titles across Lifestyle, business, vernacular, entertainment, and AD marketing media – Print, Online, and social media were achieved organically in the launch quarter (March 2023 – May 2023).
    > In the quarter of the launch, the print and online mediums collectively generated advertising worth of 20 million, reaching an audience of 5.966 billion.