How Cetaphil’s AI-powered “Social CTV” creative drove a 33% lift in consideration for Gen Z audiences

BUSINESS OBJECTIVE 

Using connected TV (CTV) to reach young audiences cost-effectively 

In Germany’s hypercompetitive skin care market, Galderma saw an opportunity to strengthen its household brand, Cetaphil, by reaching a new generation of consumers. With established rivals investing heavily across traditional media, the company needed a smarter, more efficient way to boost awareness and build preference amongst younger audiences, particularly Gen Z women. 

Working with its agency partner, dentsu X, Galderma designed a strategy that would make its budget work harder, while also adapting to younger audiences’ media habits. The team realised that linear TV wasn’t the most effective channel for this strategy, so they chose connected TV (CTV) as the best way to build awareness in a space where younger consumers are highly engaged. 

SOLUTION 

Using “regenerative” AI to repurpose social videos for custom CTV creatives 

Galderma and dentsu X used The Trade Desk platform to execute a programmatic CTV campaign that tapped into our premium private marketplace (PMP) inventory. The aim: to reach the target audience of women aged 18 to 34 interested in skin care. 

With limited CTV assets, Galderma wanted a fresh creative approach to engage the target audience. The Trade Desk’s creative ecosystem supports Nova, which offered the ideal solution: “regenerative” AI technology that can optimise Galderma’s social content for the open internet. With Nova’s innovative “social CTV” solution, Galderma was able to quickly and easily convert its seasonally relevant Cetaphil social videos into custom CTV creatives. 

This was Nova’s first social CTV campaign in Germany. By becoming a first mover in the market, Galderma unlocked multiple benefits: transforming existing social assets into custom CTV spots, engaging Cetaphil’s target audience more effectively, and allocating its budget more efficiently. 

To measure the impact of this approach, a brand lift study was integrated into the campaign, assessing brand familiarity, consideration, and preference. 

THE RESULTS 

Driving measurable brand impact through innovation 

The results of the innovative CTV strategy were eye-opening. The campaign reached 682,000 households and delivered a: 

• 42% increase in unique reach due to optimisation from frequency controls 

• 98% video completion rate, 18 percentage points above the campaign benchmark, proving the creative resonated with viewers 

• 33% boost in consideration and 6% uplift in brand preference, placing Cetaphil amongst the top 10% of industry CTV benchmarks 

By successfully extending its social assets to an open internet channel, the campaign reached a younger audience at scale, helped maximise efficiency, and proved the value of CTV as a channel for driving sustainable brand growth. Galderma now plans to continue building on this strategy to strengthen brand familiarity and preference amongst Gen Z audiences. 

Discover how CTV can help you increase brand preference amongst younger audiences. Contact us or reach out to your account manager at The Trade Desk today.