How authenticity, purpose, precision and protection scooped the Grand Prix for Karo Healthcare’s E45 brand

“We launched the ‘Me + My Skin’ campaign, which has been our platform since 2023,” said Mundy. “As part of that campaign, we were on a mission to find the community that feels the least comfortable in their skin – and that is the trans community.”

While conversations about diversity and inclusion in advertising are nothing new, the dermatological effects of gender transition have rarely been acknowledged in consumer health comms. For E45, that gap presented both a purpose-led opportunity and a clear product role.

“There’s nothing more uncomfortable than being born in a gender that you don’t necessarily resonate with – and there are so many physical effects on the skin during the transitional journey that people just don’t understand,” Mundy explained.

Authenticity, not optics

Rather than cast actors or models, the team conducted a full street cast, working with real trans women at different stages of transition. But authenticity didn’t stop with casting – it was baked into every part of the production process, from crew selection to post-campaign care.

“It was real people with real stories, living real lives,” said Mundy. “We made them feel comfortable throughout the whole process – from before we filmed to on set. We only had female artists and hairstylists who had worked with trans women before.”

Behind the camera, that commitment to care continued. The campaign team set up dedicated helplines for contributors and developed a crisis response plan in anticipation of any backlash – all designed with the wellbeing of the cast at the centre.

“The most important thing was to protect our talent. That was one of the most important things in this whole campaign,” Mundy said. “We did a lot of work behind the scenes monitoring and providing care and support. Of course, we received backlash, but we were fully prepared. There was nothing we got that we weren’t expecting.”

Navigating risk without compromising vision

While brands often shy away from culturally charged topics, Karo Healthcare leaned in – responsibly. The E45 team had rigorous safeguards in place, ensuring they could stay the course without compromising their principles or escalating controversy.

“We responded when we needed to, and we didn’t respond when we didn’t need to,” said Mundy. “We didn’t want to give oxygen to negativity that didn’t deserve it – but we always prioritised the safety and dignity of our contributors.”

That balance between bravery and caution allowed the campaign to speak its truth without falling into the trap of performative allyship – a line many brands struggle to walk.

From brand awareness to brand action

For a legacy name like E45, with household recognition across the UK, the goal wasn’t top-line awareness. The campaign was about deepening relevance, especially with audiences looking for brands to take meaningful stands.

“E45 boasts an insane amount of awareness in the UK,” said Mundy. “The real job we had to do was consideration – and we saw some brilliant uplifts across the brand funnel.”

While specific figures weren’t disclosed, Mundy noted that consideration grew significantly, and those results have continued to build beyond the initial campaign burst.

But perhaps the most important impact has been behind the scenes. In partnership with NHS professionals, Karo Healthcare has been working to change dermatological guidelines to better support the trans community. In fact, Dr Camilla, a healthcare professional involved in the project, recently presented the work at the Nordic Dermatology Congress, showing that this campaign was never intended to be a one-off.

“We’re continuing to drive and influence dermatological guidelines,” Mundy said. “This is more than just a campaign – it’s a mission.”

The bigger mission: comfort for all

While this phase of the campaign focused specifically on trans women, Mundy made clear that this was just the beginning of a wider ambition to help anyone who feels uncomfortable in their skin – both literally and metaphorically.

“Where I see the campaign going is continued allyship with the trans community, but also seeking out other communities that might feel uncomfortable in their skin,” she said. “We want to make their lives that much less complicated.”

That’s not just marketing rhetoric. Karo Healthcare sees E45’s platform as a vehicle for long-term inclusivity and representation, rooted in its category heritage but reimagined for today’s fragmented, high-stakes cultural landscape.

“Equal comfort. Equal drive. It’s for everybody – everybody – to feel comfortable in their skin.”

A modern blueprint for purpose-led marketing

In an era where brand purpose has become both an expectation and a minefield, the E45 campaign offers a compelling model for what successful execution looks like. It didn’t just claim to care — it built a robust ecosystem of care for the people it put front and centre. It didn’t just say the right thing — it committed to doing the right thing, even behind closed doors.

Mundy was also candid about the broader challenges facing marketers today – from cost-of-living pressures to fractured media journeys – but sees purpose as a long-term differentiator.

“We’re living in a world that’s tricky to navigate,” she said. “Driving a value proposition is harder than ever. The purchase journey is fragmented – there are so many channels, so many great deals, all the time. It’s not like the old days of just TV and print.”

And yet, campaigns like this show that when insight, integrity and execution align, legacy brands can still break new ground – and change lives in the process.