• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, May 10, 2011

Beiersdorf will look to capitalize on Nivea's heritage, while using one of the hottest young performers, in an estimated $1.4 billion global campaign for the skin care line that is turning 100. The campaign begins May 15.  

The TV and print components will begin with a focus on the well-known cream in the blue tin, which will be followed by spots and pages for other products in the portfolio. Rihanna's single "California King Bed" will be the soundtrack of the 100th anniversary effort.

Contests to win tickets to her concerts -- Nivea is sponsoring her U.S. and European tours -- will be staged on the Web and in retail stores. Products purchased in 40-plus countries will offer a code to download Rihanna music on the Nivea Web site.

A Nivea bus will accompany the Rihanna tour, as will a local blogger.

Facebook and YouTube will be deployed to piggyback off Rihanna's popularity, where one option is to integrate oneself in a Rihanna video via the Nivea Facebook page. About $100 million of the budget will be used in the digital realm.

Markus Pinger, a Beiersdorf board member who oversees the brands, stated that "people only feel comfortable in their skin if they are happy about the way they look." Only about 10% of women worldwide have that confidence, according to research.

Last November, Draftfcb was named Beiersdorf's sole global agency for its entire brand portfolio.