Armpit ‘scratch-and-sniff’ OOH campaign gets consumers talking

In an innovative OOH advertising activation that has social media chattering and people in the Big Apple scratching their heads (…and someone else’s armpit), deodorant brand Coco Villa has set up three street-level billboards around the city that invite passers-by to scratch-and-sniff a photo of an armpit. 

When they do so, they experience a real-time sample of the Coco Villa deodorant fragrance, which is described as “a sweet, vibrant blend of coconut and vanilla notes”. 

This out-of-home campaign is a humorous approach to generating physical and digital buzz, while driving product sampling in a clever way. 

Parent company was founded in 2017 

The Coca Villa brand is owned by Billie, a personal care company founded in 2017 as a digitally native, direct-to-consumer business focused on providing women with high-quality shaving and premium body care products. 

Billie has created a reputation for innovative marketing and its original 2017 launch campaign was driven entirely by press coverage and organic word-of-mouth rather than paid advertising. It sold out within days.  

The company has subsequently branched out from being online-only to being sold in major retailers, and has expanded into shave gel, body wash and lotion. 

According to Kunle Campbell, writer of the ‘Conscious Commerce’ newsletter, Billie’s products are all formulated with clean, vegan and cruelty-free ingredients. 

“Billie’s marketing success came from taking a stance. They did not just sell razors; they sold a movement. Their campaigns were not focused on selling a product but shaping a conversation around body positivity and inclusivity. They understood their audience deeply and spoke to them directly, rather than relying on industry norms,” Campbell says in a LinkedIn post. 

You can watch a YouTube video of the Coca Villa out-of-home advertising activation here.