For nine years now, at around this time, Watsons has been coming out with a summer campaign focused on its range of sun protection products.

Sunblocks made for the face or the body are especially popular, but now “there is more to summer than SPF,” says Kim Reyes, Watsons group category manager for skincare. “People also want a beach body, women want glossy, colored hair.”

This year, the leading pharmacy retail brand has come up with a more rounded campaign called “Make Your Summer,” which highlights products for use before, during and after a road trip or beach holiday.

“They can color their hair before their trip with Watsons’ selection of hair color kits. “We have sunblocks for use before they go under the sun as well as after-sun products to help cool and provide relief,” says Reyes.

Two items available exclusively at Watsons are the Before Sun Spray and After Sun Spray from Kojie San. The first comes in an oil-based formula with high-performing UVA/UVB filters and moisturizing shea butter and Vitamin E. The second has aloe vera to help hydrate and soothe. Its Aloe Vera CoolMoist formula is designed to help give skin relief after heavy sun exposure.

If you don’t like the tacky feeling some sunblocks leave on the skin, Biore from Japan has UV Aquarich with SPF 50+. The product goes on sheer and leaves a refreshing feeling. Hair protectors designed to help prevent dandruff are also on the list of Watsons’ summer essentials.

Island getaways

SM Advantage Card holders who purchase P500 worth of participating products until April 26 have the chance to win island getaways for four to Batanes, Boracay, Cebu, Davao and Palawan. Participating brands include Nivea, Vaseline, Banana Boat, Beach Hut, Solstice, Biore, Sunplay, Belo, Neutrogena, Cetaphil, Celeteque, Kojie San, Hawaiian Tropic, Dermplus, Ponds and Olay.

“The Watsons brand has been in the Philippines for over 10 years now, and our clients have grown with us,” says Karen Fabres, group marketing manager. “We want to maintain our relationships with them, but we also want to be relevant to millennials.”

To do that, they plan to bring in more items like Watsons-branded diet supplements and shakes in the next few months. “Other Watsons stores in the region carry a selection of ingestible traditional Chinese medicine with ingredients like pearl coix powder made from nutrient-rich adlay seeds. It’s something for us to look into,” says Reyes.

A hundred new stores are planned for 2017 that will push the total to over 650 stores nationwide. Watsons also recently opened its first two-story standalone store selling medicines, skincare and beauty products across St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City.

“We’re looking into opening a few more two-story branches but we require good locations with high foot traffic,” says Fabres.