After five decades of dermatologist trust and pharmacy shelf dominance, QV has stepped onto the global stage.
The sensitive skincare brand has unveiled its first-ever global advertising campaign, marking a significant repositioning play as it eyes growth across Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, South-East Asia and China.
Created by independent agency Those That Do, the multi-platform push signals a new chapter for the 50-year-old brand, shifting QV from clinical mainstay to emotional enabler.
A pivotal moment for a legacy brand
The campaign, themed Skincare for Life, is designed to reframe QV’s long-held competitive edge in sensitive skincare for a broader, more self-aware global audience.
Filmed in Dubai and rolling out across TV, point-of-sale, social, out-of-home and digital, the work leans into everyday human moments – positioning QV as the brand that allows consumers to live “a life unconstrained” by sensitive skin.
Those That Do Founder and Director, Ben Walker, said: “We were so thrilled to be part of this important transition for QV as it launches its first-ever global advertising campaign.
“Having worked with QV for many years, we had a deep understanding of its long-held association with caring for sensitive skin – it’s been the brand’s competitive advantage in-market, and the reason why it has been sought out by so many customers.
“Over time, we’ve seen a shift in the skincare category, with more people self-diagnosing as sensitive skin sufferers. Nearly two-thirds of people now identify as having a skin condition. This has opened the market to new skincare brands, as well as to existing skincare companies extending their ranges into the sensitive skincare category.
“For QV, this shift created a pivotal moment – a time for the brand to redefine its competitive difference and place in the market. Together, we spent time understanding the emotional impact of sensitive skin and its impact on day-to-day life. This unearthed a strategic opportunity to position QV as a brand that allows consumers to simply live more confidently, something which is often prevented by sensitive skin.”
Those That Do Founder and Director, Ben Walker. Source: LinkedIn
From dermatologist-trusted to emotionally resonant
QV Skincare Global Marketing Manager Simone Thomassen said the campaign marks a decisive repositioning for the brand.
“We are incredibly proud to unveil QV’s first-ever global campaign, ‘Skincare for Life.’ For more than 50 years, QV has been defined by our dermatologist-trusted heritage, but this campaign repositions our brand to meet today’s consumer needs. We want to show that by choosing QV, consumers can live a life unconstrained by sensitive skin.
“This campaign is an emotional connection that positions QV not just as a solution, but as an enabler, allowing our customers to confidently step into every moment of their lives, every single day.”
The move reflects broader category dynamics. As Walker notes, nearly two-thirds of consumers now identify as having a skin condition. That shift has expanded the addressable market but also intensified competition.
For QV, originally developed by Australian chemist Gerald Oppenheim for Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Hospital dermatology ward – and later known as QV Bath Oil in honour of the hospital – the global rollout is both a heritage story and a scale play.
The campaign credits list Those That Do as the agency, Electric Lime as the production company, and Ego Pharmaceuticals as the client.
In a market awash with ‘clean,’ ‘natural’, and ‘derm-approved’ claims, QV is betting that emotional connection – layered on top of 50 years of trust – will cut through.