Unilever Case Study: 'Walgreens Pick Me Ups'
The Path to Purchase Institute for the sixth straight year has teamed up with the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) to share case studies for selected winners of the ANA’s annual REGGIE Awards. Each of these shopper-focused campaigns is worthy of “best in class” designation for the unique ways in which they engaged shoppers and drove results. “REGGIE,” shorthand for “cash register,” is an acknowledgment that the ultimate objective of any brand activation program is to drive sales.
2025 REGGIE AWARD WINNER
- Campaign: Walgreens x Unilever Pick Me Ups
- Client: Unilever
- Agency: Arc Worldwide
- Category (Award): Shopper, Commerce, Retailer Specific or Omnichannel Marketing (Silver); Retailer Media Networks (Bronze)
Walgreens shoppers tend to prioritize their practical needs over indulgences during a typical visit to the store. That hypothesis was confirmed by a basket analysis showing the top 10 items purchased at Walgreens coming from healthcare aisles.
The information created an urgent challenge for Unilever and its portfolio of beauty and personal-care products.
“We had to reframe the shopper’s mindset from looking to Walgreens as a destination aimed to solve their immediate health needs, to a destination where they can discover holistic wellness solutions that add moments of joy, despite whatever they may be going through,” said Beth DeBona, vice president of strategy at Arc Worldwide.
"Pick Me Ups" addressed this challenge by forging a partnership between Walgreens and Unilever brands Dove, Shea Moisture, Nexxus, Tresemme, Vaseline, Dove Men+Care and Axe.
At the core of the program was the idea that the positive power of getting what you want doesn’t just come from the item itself, but how quickly you can get it.
The "Pick Me Ups" platform came to life through instant gratification fulfillment methods, such as same-day delivery and 30-minute buy online, pickup in-store (BOPIS).
Notably, research showed that Millennial and Gen Z Walgreens health shoppers are 17 times more likely to utilize these services versus the average U.S. consumer. This convenience-led trend appears to be accelerating across the drug retail channel and is especially apparent at Walgreens, according to DeBona.
The program deployed multiple types of online ads (retail media, programmatic, paid social) to spark the “want,” then aimed to fulfill desires with a seamless shopping experience.
Influencers shared their "Pick Me Ups" experiences on social channels, and the content was paired with ads through Walgreens Advertising Group to highlight Unilever products available at Walgreens.
“The creative captured our goal of making personal care feel like an instant treat,” DeBona said. “We played with fun elements like objects floating on vibrant backgrounds to give everything a light, magical feel. The cute face icons added a personal touch and helped really connect with people.”
The program delivered strong results for both Unilever and Walgreens, with a total of $21.5 million in incremental sales. "Pick Me Ups" scored a 10% overall conversion rate to date (with a benchmark of 2%-5%) and a $29.98 average ROAS ($11.90).
Walgreens’ influencers beat Unilever engagement benchmarks by 57% and generated 81% positive program sentiment across both TikTok and Instagram.
