• January 29, 2007

Getting creative with its marketing efforts, Johnson & Johnson's Aveeno brand commissioned a British "pavement artist" to help kick off the launch last week of its new Aveeno subline, Positively Ageless.

Like the theme of the anti-aging line, artist Julian Beever created a visual to look like a fountain of youth. The three-dimensional, colored chalk drawing appeared in Manhattan's Union Square, creating an optical illusion meant to look like an actual fountain.

As part of the publicity stunt, passersby were encouraged to throw pennies into the faux fountain, with a donation going to Aveeno's partner on the effort, the nonprofit group Keep America Beautiful. TV advertising for Aveeno Positively Ageless broke last week as well.

The line is different than other Aveeno SKUs in that it contains shiitake mushroom extracts and is touted for its ability to accelerate skin cell regeneration.