Case Study: CeraVe sparks Super Bowl buzz with Ogilvy PR & Influence

CeraVe debunks Super Bowl prank after a 3-week campaign with Ogilvy

CeraVe, a skincare brand, partnered with the advertising agency Ogilvy on a PR and Influence campaign. The challenge was to creatively increase brand awareness and clarify that CeraVe products are developed with dermatologists, not by the actor Michael Cera, with whom the brand shares a phonetic similarity.

Ogilvy developed an integrated campaign called "Michael CeraVe," which executed a multi-week prank. It playfully suggested the actor was behind the brand before debunking the claim in a Super Bowl commercial featuring real CeraVe dermatologists. The highly successful campaign, executed across earned, paid, and owned channels, won a Cannes Lions Grand Prix and a Super Clio award, generating significant buzz and media coverage for the brand.

CeraVe