Slather, a new sunscreen brand launched by Melbourne-based agency SickDogWolfman, is here to tackle a serious issue—Australia’s sun and the lack of proper sun protection. With skin cancer rates at an all-time high in Australia, especially among men who are more likely to spend extended time outdoors, Slather is making a bold statement: The sun is not your friend.
The brand’s playful yet hard-hitting campaign, created in collaboration with Haven’t You Done Well, takes a new approach to sun care marketing. Instead of the usual beach-and-pool imagery, Slather addresses the real dangers of prolonged sun exposure. The campaign features a sinister sun character who tempts a gamer, named Gary, to come outside. What follows is a face-melting twist, underscoring the message that ignoring sun protection can have extreme consequences.
The team behind Slather wants to break away from the traditional, clinical, or overly “sun-loving” sunscreen ads, aiming for a more relatable and direct approach. With Australia sitting under one of the highest levels of UV radiation globally, fewer than 3 in 10 Australians use sunscreen regularly, which is alarming given the country’s high skin cancer rates. Slather seeks to engage both men and women by offering a fun, easy-to-apply sunscreen that also doubles as a moisturizer, making it an essential part of daily skin care.
Slather is not just about selling sunscreen—it’s about changing how people think about sun care. With an affordable, high-protection SPF50+ product available directly to consumers, Slather plans to disrupt the sunscreen market and make its message loud and clear: protect yourself from the sun before it’s too late.
Credits
Agency: SICKDOGWOLFMAN
Production: Haven’t You Done Well
Directors: Will & Sej
Producer: Tessa Mansfield-Hung
Producer: Lauren Nichols
Executive Producer: Georgia Mappin
Executive Producer: Tom Rickard
Production Manager/Post Producer: Louise Todd-Smith
2nd AC / Production Assistant: Lucy Bain
DOP: Marcus Cropp
1st AC: Harry Huggins
Gaffer: Corey Clement
Best Boy: Luca Muscato
Sound Recordist: Brendan Muller
Production Designer: Joe Patten
Production Assistant: Max Krywulak
Wardrobe: Brynne Lowen
SFX Makeup: Tania de Ross
Editor: Will & Sej
VFX: Josh Regoli
Colourist: Daniel Witt (Moodlab)
Sound: Rodney Lowe (Production Alley)
