Looking for the best way to talk about the microbiome?

The microbiome? It’s like?a community of living microorganisms that makes our skin work better. They’re so small that we can’t see them through the naked eye!

Their number? Almost 1 billion of bacteria inhabit a typical square centimeter on our skin (1). Also, scientists consider we’ve more than 10 times microbes living on skin than we’ve cells in our body!

Their role? To protect skin and keep skin barrier functioning. An imbalance of these bacteria can lead to a variety of skin conditions including acne, eczema, rosacea and ageing (2)…

How should we talk about it? Here is the challenge! Indeed, even if the microbiome has become one of the hottest cosmetic trends in recent years with a market expected to grow at a double-digit compound annual growth rate in the forecast period 2020-2030?(3), speaking on this topic is not an easy task…Undeniably, the science behind can be hard to understand from a consumer perspective. Similarly, talking about it can sound alarming and somehow even disgusting, right?

Still relatively a new term to most people, how should companies introduce this invisible skin life? Which creative angles brands could use to raise awareness skin is a complex ecosystem to be nurtured? How should we visualise the microbiome along with its mechanism of action within the skin barrier? Answering these questions should give us a far better idea of how to valorise microbiome’s science in the best manner today.

To cover these points, let’s look over a few practical examples revealing different visual universes that brands and creative agencies might leverage!

#1 ILLUSTRATING SCIENCE?

An illustration style looks to be a good way of talking about it for an immediate understanding. The artistic direction does not have to be scientifically realistic. Rather, it can be pretty or even fun to make the messages clearer and the consumer’s awareness journey much smoother.?

The educational contents “The Gut Microbiome” recently created by Antoine Doré and published in Nature Magazine, a leading science journal, is a good example of what can be achieved through this creative universe. The microbiome is taught with simplicity through a colourful, mysterious and inspiring world!

#2 CONCEPTUALISING SCIENCE

An abstract representation comes into being an interesting way to turn a complex scientific notion into a message accessible to everyone.

La Roche Posay, one of the first brand that introduced the microbiome, decided to follow this creative direction. By using?the concept of “balloons"?which are going to lose and regain their specific colour over the story, they managed to illustrate the high diversity of commensal microorganisms onto the skin. And without bringing anxiety! Likewise, the campaign highlighted with a great expertise microbiome’s synergetic action with the skin barrier to tackle atopic dermatitis.?

The result? We can see here a simple and engaging scientific storytelling that allowed the brand to launch successfully its new Lipikar Baume AP+ in a very distinctive manner while engaging a double target audiences: dermatologists and mums.

#3 DEEP-DIVING INTO SCIENCE

A realistic and authentic creative route is also an excellent solution to consider in order to portray the microbiome while making the audience deep-diving into a microscopic science.?

Aveeno brand from Kenvue, undertook this approach in the frame of its campaign?Skin microbiome?to explain what this unnoticed world is, why it’s important in skin health and how Aveeno Skin Relief helps to preserve it. This time around, all the power and efficacy of the brand’ star ingredient, a prebiotic oat, is expressed in a joyful and realistic CGI, tailor made to the brand.?

Another inspiring reference comes from the brand Listerine in the Oral Care category. They wanted to educate consumers that germs hide in all areas of the mouth, and how a 30s Listerine swish combats that. To reach this communication objective, they made their audience discover a real yet appealing and very aesthetic world of germs in their?Germkill campaign. Shall we also use this creative scientific visualisation in skincare??

#4 EXPERIENCING SCIENCE

What about taking the audience into the heart of the science to be at the closest of skin? By using sounds, animations, projections mapping and sculptural installations, Salford university invited a general public in Manchester to explore the microbiome of the human gut and its significance to health and wellbeing.?An immersive experience?that brands may look at to elevate the way they communicate.

Surely, this new form of storytelling looks a fantastic opportunity to create a special bond with consumers while being memorable and highly entertaining. Another key thing to remember is that this kind of experience enables you to promote your products in a manner that feel consumers-focused rather than sales-focused.

In conclusion, if you want to talk about the microbiome, don’t hesitate and go for it! There is a large number of creative ways to make use of. If you struggle to select the one fitting your needs, bear in mind to ask yourself these following questions:

What are your objectives? Who are you talking to? Which channels do you want to communicate on? What does the competition and what are the opportunities? What type of look & feel would best portray your brand’s identity?

Above all, it’s all about connecting with your audiences, giving a meaning to your science and telling engaging stories.?

1 Grice EA, Kong HH, Renaud G, Young AC, Bouffards GG, Blakesley RW, et al. A diversity profile of the human skin microbiota. Genome Res 2008.?

2 Grice EA, Segre JA. The skin microbiome, Nature reviews Microbiology. 211;9(4):244-253.?

3 Skin Microbiome Modulators Market to Reach $2.97 Billion by 2030, Research and Markets, July 2020