'Frozen,' 'Star Wars' fuel Band-Aid comeback for Johnson & Johnson

Nathan Bomey | USA TODAY

When Greg Marcotte's daughters scrape a knee, they paste on a Band-Aid that's more than just a way to cover a wound.

"I almost feel like they’re a fashion accessory," Marcotte, a high school math teacher in Worcester, Mass. He adds, only half-jokingly, that his kids "enjoy getting hurt a little bit more."

A few years ago, Band-Aids had lost their stickiness in the U.S. adhesive bandages market, which had been flooded by alternatives. But characters like Yoda of Star Wars and Anna of the Disney animated blockbuster Frozen have helped to rehabilitate the aching Band-Aid brand, allowing Johnson & Johnson to stabilize sales and increase market share.

The 95-year-old Band-Aid brand first got decorative options in 1956 — the patriotic Stars and Stripes — and has had many variations over the years. But Johnson & Johnson's decision to expand decorative offerings this year has fueled renewed interest.

The company does not reveal revenue data for the Band-Aid brand, but Johnson & Johnson worldwide group chairman Sandi Peterson told investors in July that Band-Aid sales rose 6.3% in the first six months of 2015 and gained 2 percentage points in market share, compared with the same period in 2014. That came after the introduction of Frozen-themed designs in 2014 and those based on Star Wars last February.

Although some Band-Aid boxes still boast about "superior breathability," "flexibility and comfort" or "one-step infection protection," the decorative boxes feature the Band-Aid brand name and little else but a splashy image of a fictional character, such as C-3PO, Dora the Explorer or Disney princesses.

Michael Marquis, general manager for J&J's oral care, wound care and health essentials brands in the U.S., said decorative Band-Aids now account for 20% to 30% of sales.

"As opposed to talking to consumers about the specific merits of our stickiness, our fabric or the different features of the product, a lot of what we’ve been realigning our message around is, how do we connect with people around their passion points?" Marquis said in an interview. "That’s how people live their lives ... around the things they’re passionate about."

J&J's market share in the broader category — defined as first aid, tape, bandage, gauze and cotton — was 44.8% in the 52 weeks that ended Nov. 1, with revenue of $377 million during that period, according to research firm IQI.

That's 10.2% higher than sales during calendar year 2013, when market share hit a low of 43% market share, according to IRI. That category also includes J&J's Neosporin brand and other products.

Marquis emphasized that the brand also has had success with other strategies, including a "tough strip" variation and marketing efforts on cooking shows and magazines, under the premise that amateur chefs are prone to cuts in the kitchen.

The Frozen Band-Aids have been a particularly big hit, prompting countless social-media photos of people showing off their fingers wrapped in bandages featuring the lovable Olaf or the spunky Anna. Kids have different preferences. Marcotte said his 8-year-old daughter likes the Frozen Band-Aids, while his 10-year-old daughter prefers the superhero option.

Johnson & Johnson boosted its marketing budget to fortify Band-Aid brand's appeal to what Marquis calls the "chief care officer" in the home. The company increased its advertising spending on the Band-Aid brand by 9% to $8 million during the first six months of 2015, compared with the same period in 2014, according to Kantar Media.

Millennial parents, one of J&J's key targets for the Band-Aid brand, are seeking "not only the performance attributes but they also want the emotional qualities" in a brand, Marquis said.

That emotional connection had frayed in recent years. Johnson & Johnson had been losing sales to private-label competitors as customers perceived parity in choice for adhesive bandages.

Private-label adhesive brands surged from market share of 28.3% in 2010 to 33% in 2013, as J&J's market share slipped from 54% to 43%, according to IRI, a data analytics firm.

But private-label bandage sales cooled off as J&J's Band-Aid strategy kicked into gear this year. Private-label share gained 0.2 percentage points from 34% in 2014 to 34.2% for the 52-week period ending Nov. 1.

J&J's top brand-name competitor, 3M Corp., which sells adhesive bandages under the Nexcare brand, had market share of 9.2% as of Nov. 1, up 0.26 percentage points since 2013. The company declined to comment for this story.

Although J&J markets the decorative Band-Aids on its website as "for kids," a quick search of Twitter shows many adults using them, too.

When Marcotte, the Massachusetts dad and math teacher, went to the medicine cabinet recently after suffering a cut to his hand, he discovered that the only options were Frozen and superheroes.

He knew either choice risked inspiring giggles from his students the next day in class.

He went with the superheroes.

"But I would have been OK with the Frozen Band-Aid," he insisted.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.

First aid, tape, bandages, gauze and cotton market (2015 sales through Nov. 1)

Industry sales: $841 million

Top 4 market share:

1. Johnson & Johnson (Band-Aid brand, Neosporin, etc.): 44.8%

2. Private-label brands: 34.2%

3. 3M Corp. (Nexcare, etc.): 9.2%

4. Medline Industries (Curad, etc.): 4.9%

Source: IRI