Nivea
Nivea On-Skin Hydration Test
Beiersdorf
Claim: "Hydration"
Overview
At the center of the activation was a skin touch-test tool : shoppers used a two-step strip system that allowed them to compare their skin condition before and after applying a NIVEA body care product. First, the shopper pressed Strip 1 (“Antes”) onto their skin for a few seconds to identify their baseline condition. The card then guided them to apply the NIVEA body lotion/cream , and repeat the test with Strip 2 to see/feel the difference. The results were communicated through clear, easy-to-understand categories, “Piel extra seca / Piel seca / Piel normal”, paired with visual texture references and product cues, making the diagnosis feel intuitive and credible.
From a marketing perspective, the activation worked on multiple levels:
Execution-wise, the materials appear to have been optimized for retail: a compact instruction + results card in Spanish, paired with disposable test strips that are easy to distribute, demo, or self-serve. Overall, it’s a smart example of experiential POS marketing : low friction, quick to understand, and built to turn curiosity into action, especially effective for body care where benefits can feel abstract without demonstration.
The Challenge
For the On-Skin Hydration Test, Nivea needed to make the "Hydration" promise something shoppers in the skin care category could see for themselves, not just read on a label. In the few seconds a shopper spends at shelf or in a consultation, copy and ingredient lists rarely land, especially when rival products advertise hydration claims.
The brief for the On-Skin Hydration Test was to turn that abstract message into a tangible, repeatable proof point that retail staff, pharmacists or beauty advisors could run on demand, without lab equipment or specialist training, while staying on brand for Nivea.
The Approach
This project was a point-of-sale (POS) activation in Chile designed to build brand awareness and drive product consideration through a simple, high-engagement “before & after” experience. The core idea was to make skin care benefits visible and tangible in just a few seconds...
USP Demo Solutions built the On-Skin Hydration Test for Nivea around the Hydration Test - Body method, reducing the Hydration story to a single visible reaction the consumer can trigger themselves. That gives the conversation a clear before/after moment in the skin care aisle instead of a one-way pitch.
From the same physical interaction with the On-Skin Hydration Test, the demo substantiates claim areas such as hydration, so a single asset can carry several conversations across the Nivea range.
The Result
The result for Nivea is a comparative, delivered through the On-Skin Hydration Test as something the consumer experiences first-hand rather than has to take on trust.
By turning Nivea's "Hydration" message into a hands-on Hydration Test - Body moment, the On-Skin Hydration Test becomes a credible, science-backed conversation starter the shopper can repeat for a friend.
In the field, Nivea runs the On-Skin Hydration Test primarily for retail activation, delivered in diagnostic tool, physical demo so the same Hydration Test - Body proof point travels from a pharmacist's counter to a beauty advisor's tablet without losing its logic.
- Technology
- Hydration Test - Body
- Benefit
- Comparative
- Category
- Skin Care
- Brand
- Nivea