Independent creative and media agency REBORN has unveiled its latest work with Unilever to launch the new Vaseline Body Oil range through Australia’s first vertical micro-reality dating series ‘The Afterglow’.
The agency said it’s the latest example of Unilever’s shifting focus from traditional campaign formats to entertainment-led content.
The five-part series, which launched 3 March this year, follows a cast featuring some of Australia’s favourite new reality personalities and creators as they test their chemistry and take part in a series of fun challenges built around Vaseline’s new hydrating body oils.
The 1-3 minute episodes have more than 8 million reach with 36 million impressions across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
Hosted by Tyra Johannes, winner of Love Island Australia Season 5, the series features ex-MAFS and ex-Love Island Australia alumni Eliot Donovan, Gabby McCarthy, Alex Haye, and Beth Kelly, alongside Elke Kahler, Jake Vella, Skyler Hart and Jess Curmi.
The range is integrated into the show through challenges centred on physical connection and confidence. Rather than traditional product placement, the body oil serves as the catalyst for physical chemistry and that ever-desirable ‘glow’. The approach places the product within behaviour and culture, rather than relying on messaging alone.
REBORN CEO David Easton said this entertainment-led approach is one that more brands in Australia need to adopt to engage audiences beyond typical influencer marketing.
“Love them boldly or as a guilty secret, reality shows are a format that keeps Aussies glued to their screens. With The Afterglow, we want to earn attention by delivering the kind of drama and levity that people are looking for when they scroll.
“You can’t expect audiences to engage with a hard sell upfront. The series is structured to build engagement first, with the product story becoming more explicit in later episodes. The results speak to the success of this approach: we achieved an average View-Through Rate of 10.8 per cent, more than double the benchmark of 5.2 per cent. More importantly, as audiences became invested in the narrative, that engagement skyrocketed, with episode four peaking at over 19 per cent.”
Yin Hong Yeo, regional marketing manager at Unilever, said the series offered a more contemporary way to introduce the range.
“Beauty advertising needs to hold attention for longer to achieve cut-through. The Afterglow taps into the cultural appeal of reality dating formats, placing the product within a world audiences already engage with, through emotive interactions and skincare prep moments that make the product the hero without ever feeling like an ad.
The project builds on REBORN’s previous branded episodic content work with Unilever, the JIF MessMaster micro-series, and signals the agency’s continued focus on entertainment-led formats designed for social platforms.
Credits:
UNILEVER
Regional Marketing Manager: Yin Hong Yeo
Assistant Marketing Manager: Phoebe Aguilar
Unilever International Head of ANZ: Nabomita Bagchi
REBORN
Senior Account Director: Vici Page
Group Account Director: Shailei Forrester
Head of Connected Experiences: Nate Norrish
Creative: Pia Easton
Senior Copywriter: Eric Franken
Producer/Editor: Sam Edwards
Talent & Content Manager: Stephanie Sison Cruz
Senior Motion Graphics Artist: Joseph Hoh
Social Media Manager: Laura Moran
Founder & CEO: David Easton
Production Company: Mos & Co
MINDSHARE:
Media Planning Senior Manager: Huong Dam
Media Performance Manager: Bao Le
