Hamdard reimagines skincare for Gen Z through new-age OOH

Hamdard, in collaboration with WPP Media, has launched a contemporary brand-building initiative for Safi to connect the trusted herbal blood purifier with Gen Z through a mix of strategic Out-of-Home (OOH), influencer, meme and digital marketing. Building on Safi’s core proposition that true skin health starts from within, the campaign reframes the skincare conversation for a generation navigating increasingly complex beauty and wellness routines. 

At the heart of the OOH campaign is the provocative thought, “Skin problems? Your skincare might be working on the wrong side.” The campaign spans approximately 30 outdoor sites across Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Lucknow, with placements in high-footfall youth hubs designed to capture attention and spark conversations around skin health beyond surface-level solutions. 

The OOH campaign is amplified through a diverse influencer ecosystem spanning Mega, Macro and Micro creators, extending beyond traditional beauty voices to include automobile, sports, travel and lifestyle creators, alongside dermatologists. Content brings everyday triggers such as pollution, stress and diet into the conversation, while meme pages translate the campaign thought into relatable youth humour and shareable content. The campaign has also extended to LinkedIn, while the digital platform “Safi, Har Ghar Ka Specialist” brings the message to Gen Z, including college-goers and young professionals with an affinity for wellness and personal care. 

Abdul Majeed, Chairman and Managing Trustee, Hamdard Laboratories, said, “The way younger consumers think about skincare has evolved, with growing interest in wellness, prevention and what goes on beneath the surface. Through this initiative, we wanted to bring Safi’s long-standing proposition into a more contemporary conversation without losing the trust and authenticity associated with the brand. The combination of OOH, creators and digital allows us to engage audiences in spaces and formats that are relevant to how they discover, discuss and make choices today.” 

Navin Khemka, President, Client Solutions, WPP Media, South Asia, said, “For a heritage brand, staying relevant to a new generation is about more than changing the message; it is about understanding where and how that audience engages, and building the conversation around them. We started with a simple yet disruptive thought and used audience insights to orchestrate it across OOH, creators, culture and digital, meeting Gen Z in the spaces they naturally engage with. By moving beyond conventional beauty communication and bringing together voices from sports, travel, automobiles, lifestyle and dermatology, we have created a broader cultural conversation around skin health while keeping Safi’s core proposition at the centre.” 

The initiative marks a shift from traditional product-benefit communication to a more contemporary, conversation-led approach to brand building. The creative has been conceptualized by Candy Shop Communications, while WPP Media has brought together OOH planning, influencer and meme marketing, and digital amplification to help Safi build greater relevance among younger consumers while retaining its established equity as a trusted skin health brand.