Lisa Perez, Vice President / General Manager, Marketing, Consumer Health and Alexis Gossard, Sr Mgr Media Strategy, Consumer Health break down the strategy behind One A Day’s “Health Doesn’t Need to Be Ludacris” campaign, sharing lessons on celebrity alignment, social performance, and creating partnerships that resonate across generations.

1.  One A Day partnered with Ludacris for the “Health Doesn't Need to Be Ludacris” campaign. How did this partnership come about? 

Perez: Ludacris was a very intentional choice for us. At his core, he embodies the One A Day brand values. We’re both classics with staying power, and he’s remained culturally relevant to consumers today in the same way he was 20 years ago. What strengthened the partnership is that he was already a loyal user of our One A Day multivitamin, so there was a natural alignment that made the collaboration feel authentic and sincere from the start.

Beyond that, we were looking for a partner who could help us reframe the conversation around health. There’s a lot of noise in the wellness space right now, with trends that can feel complicated or unrealistic. Ludacris brings a grounded, no-nonsense perspective that cuts through that. He helped us land a message that health doesn’t have to be overthought to be effective – it can be simple, consistent habits.

2.  How do you evaluate whether a celebrity is the right partner for a campaign?

Perez: We look at it through three lenses: authenticity, audience alignment, and creative chemistry.

Does this person have a real, authentic connection to the category or the behavior we’re trying to drive? In this case, Ludacris already had a relationship with the product, which is difficult to manufacture and easy for audiences to recognize.

We want partners who can connect across generations and show up in culture in a way that feels current, not forced. That includes how they engage on social, how their audience interacts with them, and whether they can carry a message beyond a single moment.

The best partnerships are not transactional. They’re co-created. We look for talent that wants to shape the work with us, bring their own perspectives, and push the creative in a way that ultimately makes the campaign stronger.

3.  What's your advice to brands looking to enter their first celebrity partnership?

Perez: Start with the role the partnership needs to play in your broader strategy, not the name. A recognizable face can drive attention, but without a clear purpose, it won’t drive impact.

From there, prioritize authenticity over reach. Audiences are quick to spot when something feels forced, and that can work against the brand. It’s more effective to partner with someone who has a credible connection to your product or message, even if they’re not the biggest name in the room.

Finally, build for integration from the beginning. The partnership should extend across channels, from paid and social to earned and retail, so it feels cohesive and shows up consistently wherever consumers encounter the brand. That’s where you start to see real return.

4.  How are you measuring success on TikTok and Instagram for this campaign?

Gossard: We’re looking beyond surface-level metrics and focusing on signals that indicate the message is landing and resonating. That starts with engagement quality. Are people watching through, sharing, saving, and commenting in a way that shows the content is connecting?

We also look at how the content is performing with non-followers, which tells us whether we’re breaking through to new audiences. On a campaign like this, discovery is just as important as engagement.

Finally, we’re tying social performance back to broader brand impact. That includes shifts in perception around simplicity and consistency in health, as well as downstream behaviors like consideration and purchase intent. Social is a key entry point, but success is defined by how it contributes to the full consumer journey.

5. Is there a celebrity brand partnership outside your own work that you admire, and why?

Gossard: Outside of our new celebrity brand partnership, I have to admit, to me, the sports community does this so well; where an athlete becomes the face of a brand. My personal favorite, for many reasons, is what Steph Curry has done with Under Armour. The perfect ecosystem that is true to his brand essence of the underdog who has succeeded. I love that he took his identity and attached himself to a brand and built both him and the brand up together – a true example of a rising tide lifts all ships. And, despite his growth in fame and status, staying true to the partnership. Plus, the gear has been consistently good :)

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