The Objective
Chinese health consumers have changed. They’re not just buying products that work, they’re buying into brands that understand how they want to live. Efficacy has become the baseline and what drives loyalty is whether a brand feels like it belongs in someone’s life.
For Unilever, this shift presented both an opportunity and a challenge. Campaign success depended not only on visibility and performance metrics but also on its ability to build credibility and emotional resonance.
Douyin EC Global emerged as the right platform to address this need. Unlike a traditional retail shelf, which is non-interactive by design, Douyin EC Global offered Unilever an interactive place to educate, showcase, and drive purchases for its two flagship brands, OLLY and Nutrafol.
The objective for both brands was to move beyond short-term performance gains and build a sustainable growth model in China. This required expanding reach, increasing engagement, and improving conversion efficiency.
The Solution
OLLY
For OLLY, the strategy focused on reinforcing its “designed specifically for women” positioning by reframing benefits as lifestyle narratives (that Chinese consumers could see themselves in) rather than describing product features.
That played out across three major moments. At Douyin Super Brand Day, anchored by an event in Marina Bay, Singapore, a layered campaign combining Hashtag Challenges, creator seeding, and CEO appearances.
For the 520 Shopping Festival, OLLY partnered with Jin Jing (a Chinese comedian and actress) on the “Be Beautiful, Be Yourself” campaign as part of a TVC and KOL matrix running across online and offline channels.
Double 11 took a different approach. OLLY partnered with Cecilia Cheung (a prominent actress and Cantopop singer from Hong Kong) to reimagine her iconic “I’ll Take Care of You” scene as “Take Good Care of Yourself.” By tapping into nostalgia, the campaign strengthened emotional resonance, while KOL partnerships and brand livestreams converted that connection into measurable demand.
Nutrafol
For Nutrafol, their strategy centered on translating clinical validation and scientific credibility into clear, relatable messaging.
Educational content, expert endorsements, and overseas creator collaborations all helped establish authority in the premium haircare supplement segment, while credibility was reinforced through live lab visits and traceability initiatives.
Professional content and creator partnerships not only drove traffic for Nutrafol but also evolved into long-term brand assets, compounding in value through sustained brand livestream activity.
Ad Products
The Results
Together, both campaigns enabled Unilever to build trust and share compelling stories that resonated successfully with Chinese consumers, laying the groundwork for long-term, content-led growth on Douyin.
OLLY
OLLY recorded over 100 million impressions and 59.12 million CNY in GMV during Douyin Super Brand Day, with the live CEO appearances and traceability storytelling helping to boost brand credibility. During 520 Shopping Festival, OLLY’s 5A audience assets grew by 282%, driving brand awareness beyond 21%.
Nutrafol
Nutrafol achieved accelerated momentum, with sales doubling month over month and brand livestream performance increasing 6.5x year over year. Its 5A audience expanded 56x, reflecting major gains in precision targeting and conversion efficiency.
Douyin Mall, meanwhile, accounted for 30% of its sales during the campaign, indicating that even outside of livestream pushes, consumers continued to search relevant keywords and purchase directly via product links within Douyin Mall.
OLLY and Nutrafol’s success has strengthened Unilever’s belief that the future of health consumption lies in building deep resonance with customers, not just transactional brand relationships.
They will continue prioritizing Douyin EC Global as a strategic platform, not only as a growth accelerator, but as a critical window into Chinese consumers and a space to co-create the future of healthy living in China.
Looking to unlock similar growth on Douyin? Contact Ocean Engine to explore personalized strategies, expert guidance, and tailored solutions for your brand.
