• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, June 4, 2021

TikTok has put a spotlight on Millennial women’s appreciation for realness and humor. It has also become a huge hub for skincare education and tips. 

With that in mind, Deutsch NY devised a new campaign for skincare brand Differen that puts a “Differen spin” so to speak, on popular platform trends and tropes, creating work that feels more like native content than ads. 

The effort launches this week. To further boost the campaign’s cultural relevance, Deutsch worked with agency Lippe Taylor to place influencers in select pieces of content.  

Highlighting the Differin Gel Defense products, the creative plays on popular TikTok trends like #RentFree, This or That, and Telling Off, all with a “zit-twist.” In the snackable content women are ready to do battle with acne equipped with lively banter and a remedy for achieving skin clarity. Sample the work here. 

The #Rentfree spot starts with a voiceover urging a woman to “show me someone who lives on your face rent free.” The woman responds, “Oh, there’s quite a few. We have Frank, we have Tony, and of course the unannounced guest who refuses to leave — Carol. Girl, go.” 

The end card displays the message: “Your Face. Your Rules. Clear the acne you have. And stop new acne in its tracks with Differin Gel.” 

The work also features a spot with a “zit interview” where a young woman taunts her pimples — they have names too — with questions, like “Any last words?” before she eliminates them with Differin Gel.