The news of this little bottle of serum has travelled to women’s ears around the globe over the last 2 weeks. No. 7 epitomizes what buzz and viral marketing are all about– with near zero investment. The principal tool in this launch was no other than social media. Do a search for No.7 and witness thousands of posts and comments, many from Britain where the brand was born. No. 7 has been around for a long time but this serum has outperformed any of its 80 brand extensions. Recently it has been on talk shows, network news, and ubiquitous in digital media. The headline in a leading British newspaper read, “Riots in aisles for anti-wrinkle lotion that actually works.”
The frenzy actually began when the BBC aired a story on No.7 and sales the very same day sales increased by 2000%. In Gandhi style, you only need one or a few disciples to give your brand this kind of propulsion.
The belief is that it works. No.7 reduces wrinkles among other things. The surprise is that there is no surprise. There are no new ingredients but rather the secret is in the blend, as Steve Barton, the biologist who developed No. 7 confirms. The active ingredient that reduces wrinkle depth is a lipo-pentapeptide. As one clinician describes, “this ingredient is synthesised by stringing 5 amino acids together and combining it with a lipolic compound which makes it readily absorbed into the skin”. Absorption is always the key to success. Also in the blend, the standard antioxidants vitamins A (retinyl palmitate), C and E add prevention.
Steve also states,“The lotion takes 4-8 weeks to work” and “Wrinkles won’t disappear. This is not Botox, but they are significantly improved.”
There are a few skeptics as there always are; however, the consensus among those who have applied No. 7 for 4 to 8 weeks is that it works.
In U.K. the serum is named Protect and Perfect Serum; however, in USA it is named Restore & Renew Beauty Serum. It is available for $21.99 only at CVS or Target…if you can get your mitts on it. Alas! Canadian women will have to age gracefully until No.7 makes its way here. We are the second largest land mass; how can they miss us?
I stand corrected it is exclusive at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada. Here is Shoppers’ web page stating that fact.
Now let’s see if they have stock–the next hurdle. Reminds me of the race for Playstation or giggling Elmo. A limited release works well within our social psychology indeed.
September 17, 2007 at 10:43UTC
At this very moment, I am trying out Boots No.7’s peeling facial mask. I don’t know why, but I can’t seem to find a photo of this product anywhere online to show you. Perhaps you’ve seen it, though? It was very easy to apply and clean out of the brush that comes with it, it does not smell strongly or have a nasty odour. Is not sticky after the 25 minutes that it suggests, but does not flake off either (as cream masks will). I have rather sensitive skin, and I’ve experienced no burning sensation, so this is good.
After:
I don’t see a difference in my skin, but then again, I’ve been using a medical steroid cream for weeks, which thins skin. I did not think of that before… At least I can say that I was not burned by this product. *shrug*
The official No.7 section of the Boots website:
http://tinyurl.com/2qoeee