Advertising Agency Reflex
Satakunnantie 31, 3rd floor
20300 Turku, Finland
+358 2 6517 2200
info@mainosreflex.fi
firstname.lastname@mainosreflex.fi
Zirtek United Kingdom – A Positive Splash of Colour
In 2021, our client UCB Pharma invited us to participate in a competitive bid for the relaunch of their allergy medication, Zirtek, in the UK market. The competition required designing a complete marketing concept and relaunch strategy for the highly competitive British market.
We began by thoroughly familiarizing ourselves with local conditions, competitors, and the British approach to marketing. Since this was an over-the-counter medication, we also carefully studied the legal framework and guidelines governing pharmaceutical marketing in the UK.
Early in the planning phase, we made a clear decision: we didn’t want to play it safe but instead aimed to create a bold and vibrant concept that would make Zirtek products instantly recognizable.
Previously, at Reflex, we had developed a cartoon character named Zykke for Zyrtec products in the Finnish market, and we decided to explore how it could be adapted for the UK. This led to the creation of Zack, a cheerful and mischievous character who doesn’t let allergies hold him back. Zack’s approach to dealing with allergies is solution-oriented, reflecting the slogan we developed for the product: “Hack your allergy.” We also introduced Zoe, Zack’s adventurous companion, to share in his adventures.
Around these characters, we designed a striking colour palette inspired by pop art, graffiti, and modern memes. In the hands of our creative team, the cartoon characters transformed into dynamic, energy-filled elements suitable for all advertising channels, including comics, videos, social media, outdoor ads, and retail materials.
We won the competitive bid and unleashed Zack and Zoe to make their mark on the UK market.
Zirtek United Kingdom
The Idea Takes Off
The relaunch of Zirtek products was a success, and our client was so pleased with the cartoon duo’s adventures that we were soon tasked with localising and launching the characters in Ireland and Norway as well.
Zirtek Ireland
Transferring the Zack character and the entire concept to a new country is an operation that requires meticulous planning. People’s perception of colours and their symbolic meanings are culturally bound, and even the features of the characters can take on different connotations in various countries.
This is why extensive groundwork was conducted before the launches in Norway and Ireland, including consumer research in Norway. Each of the four cartoon character concepts are based on the same core idea, but its execution has been adapted to reflect local styles and customs.
Zyrtec Norway
In addition to large and impressive concepts, we have continuously worked on everyday communication and marketing tasks for various UCB products. A particular highlight is the moderation of social media accounts necessitated by pharmaceutical legislation, where our employees carefully monitor discussions taking place on our client’s social media accounts across several countries.
Whether our client’s needs are large and international or small and routine, we can handle it all. Nothing in communication is unfamiliar to us.
