The Periodic Fable.
Skincare brand The Ordinary built a periodic table with zero science, replacing the chemical elements with 49 marketing buzzwords such as 'miracle' and 'medical grade'.
- Brand
- The Ordinary
- Agency
- Uncommon Creative Studio
- Market
- UK, USA, Canada
- Region
- Global
- Year
- 2025
The challenge
Skincare marketing leans on unregulated, science-sounding words. Famous Campaigns reported that 51% of UK skincare shoppers are more likely to trust a product described as 'luxury', and that one in ten US shoppers would pay $75 more for 'rare ingredients'.
The idea
'The Periodic Fable is a scientific table with zero science,' Uncommon's D&AD entry explains; it 'replaces chemical elements with 49 skincare marketing buzzwords, separating fact from fiction'. The elements include 'magic', 'fat freezing' and 'medical grade'. A dystopian film directed by Olivia De Camps for Smuggler shows a hypnotised classroom copying viral skincare trends, and the table ran across outdoor, social and influencer channels in the UK, US and Canada, with a clickable version on The Ordinary's site explaining each term.
Case study source: D&AD Source ↗
Awards
- Cannes Lions 2026Health & Wellness LionsGrand Prix
- Cannes 2026: Silvers in Outdoor and Direct, and a Bronze in Design
- D&AD 2026: Black Pencil in Art Direction, two Yellow Pencils, two Graphite Pencils and four Wood Pencils
Credits
- Production company
- Smuggler
- Director
- Olivia De Camps
- Media
- Quan Media
- Client (The Ordinary's parent company)
- DECIEM
