Always challenges stigma around product trial by turning its new top sheet into a sofa

In a marketing maneuver unheard of within the category, Always in Pakistan has partnered with AND THE NERVE to launch a completely unbranded sampling drive, overriding social bias, resulting in a 96% positive sentiment for the brand.

Once a market leader with a lion’s share, Always suddenly found itself facing an image crisis. Within just a few years, Always, which had long commanded nearly half the market, lost its standing to a local competitor that eventually took the lead.

Women were speaking out, calling the brand itchy, uncomfortable, even rash-inducing. While online forums and women’s groups were filled with negative reviews, the wider boycott of foreign brands in Pakistan further drove this equity into the ground, with many preferring local options over Always.

Amna Jaffar, Director Femcare, Shavecare and Healthcare, P&G, said: “Instead of temporary damage control, we went back to the drawing board. With a passionate team powered by consumer insight and deep R&D, we introduced a break-through top sheet: one that had a soft cotton-y feel, without compromising on the absorbency Always promised. Next, came the real test- winning Pakistani women back.”

But how do you convince women, after all that backlash, to give Always a second chance? And more importantly how do you generate trial for a product in a country where it’s instantly hidden once it’s bought?

“In Pakistan, sanitary pads are discreetly handed over in brown paper bags, making open product interaction almost impossible. We had to find a way for women to experience the new product openly, without the inherent social bias,” said Daniah Ishtiaq, Strategy Lead at AND THE NERVE.

So, Always decided to flip the script on trial campaigns launching The Top Secret Material. In a bold stunt, the brand stitched its newly developed top sheet onto an unbranded sofa and placed it in the middle of a bustling mall- without revealing what it was made of.

To passersby, it looked like just another furniture display. But under the guise of testing the “material,” shoppers were invited to sit, touch, and rate the fabric.

The verdict was unanimous: it was soft.
“It felt like sitting on clouds.”
“It’s so soft- I just want to sit on it.”
“Ten on ten, what is this material?”

Only then was the secret revealed- the mystery fabric was, in fact, the new Always top sheet. The reveal left participants (especially, Always lapsers) stunned by their own reactions.

To amplify the buzz, influencers joined in, inviting their audiences to experience the fabric themselves during the two-day activation.

By the end of the drive, Always reached 40% more consumers than its past activations, with 96% of participants* convinced of the product’s softness- all despite the ongoing boycott.

“Ultimately, without having to hide behind brown paper bags or coded conversations, hundreds of women (and men) had openly interacted with the product, and left with a positive perception of the brand in mind,” said Hira Mohibullah, Creative Lead at AND THE NERVE.

With The Top Secret Material, Always not only redefined product trial for the category- but also circumvented a long-standing cultural taboo, turning it on its head.

*Data based on female respondents; 540 out of 560 participants described the material as soft.