Boots Launches 'Give It Some Boots' Confidence Campaign

Boots has launched a new campaign called 'Give It Some Boots', marking a strategic shift away from separate beauty, health, and pharmacy marketing. The campaign, which began a nationwide eight-week rollout on 9 September, aims to present a unified brand identity centred on customer needs and confidence.

Chief Marketing Officer Charlotte Lock explained the change to TheIndustry.beauty. She said the retailer is moving from division-led advertising to mission-led thinking. "Whereas we might have shown up in the past with a beauty mission, a health mission, a pharmacy mission, and the advertising looked like that, we've flipped it to think about what are the customer missions," Lock stated.

Campaign Focus on Real-Life Scenarios

The campaign platform positions Boots as a source of confidence for life's 'brutiful' moments-a blend of beautiful and brutal. It launches with 60- and 30-second films directed by Phoebe Arnstein. The films follow characters through relatable, often underrepresented experiences.

One storyline shows a young woman feeling overwhelmed by skincare choices. Another character discovers their first grey hair. A third features a woman entering perimenopause. Each finds a solution at Boots. The films conclude with a choreographed dance set to a recreated version of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'".

Lock said the scenarios were chosen through customer research to highlight Boots services. For the skincare story, she pointed to the retailer's free derm skin scan. A real No7 Macmillan Beauty Advisor also appears, representing support for customers dealing with cancer treatment's visible effects.

Challenging Beauty Stereotypes

The campaign deliberately challenges conventional beauty norms. A 73-year-old woman undergoes a series of hair and beauty makeovers using Boots products. "We really feel that no age is too old to feel and look beautiful," Lock added. While women are central, reflecting the core customer base, the wider campaign includes men. One execution follows a man experimenting with lavender mists, Happy Sleep gummies, and mouth tape to improve his sleep.

This approach reflects a convergence of categories that Boots observes on its shop floor. Lock cited nutritional supplements bought for beauty, scalp care that blends skincare and haircare, and body peptides as evidence. "We don't want to just categorise how customers shop by aisle because they don't. They come in with a mission," she said.

Deep Dives into Customer Missions

Skin and sleep are two initial missions receiving focused attention. In-store posters encourage customers to ask Boots about specific skin concerns like breakouts, pigmentation, wrinkles, and elasticity changes linked to weight loss. Mission-led content on sleep and other topics will roll out on social channels and Boots.com as the campaign continues.

The timing ties to Boots research from late August. It found 44% of UK adults see September as the right time to restart healthy habits. Lock described autumn as a key reset point where health, wellness, and beauty needs converge.

Supporting Activations and Community

The paid media strategy is nationwide and full-funnel. Supporting activations include 'Give it Some Boots' karaoke booths touring the UK in September. The campaign also use a community of around 200 influencers, from macro to nano-creators. They are briefed on the campaign's intent and encouraged to share their own experiences. Store colleagues are involved through dance and singing competitions.

Lock emphasized the need to be more than just trusted in a noisy market. "You've got to be innovative, inspiring, motivating and even entertaining - and that's what this campaign does," she said. The launch coincides with business expansion. Boots has added almost 60 beauty brands in the past year, including Charlotte Tilbury Beauty and Jo Malone London, growing its assortment to over 500 brands. While the Christmas campaign details are secret, Lock noted advent calendar waitlists have doubled year-on-year, with strong pre-sales for ranges like Scents, Luxury, and No7.