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TUX named one of Adweek’s Fastest Growing AgenciesThis Is Not a Skincare Ad: How Cabtreo broke the pharma ad mold to connect with Gen Z
When TUX was asked to launch Cabtreo, a new dermatologist-prescribed acne treatment, the brief came with a challenge: make a pharma ad Gen Z might actually watch.
Cabtreo isn’t another over-the-counter cream. It’s a prescription-strength, FDA-approved topical that combines three active ingredients into a single once-a-day routine. But in a category saturated with skincare noise—hauls, hacks, and hydrocolloids—Cabtreo needed to stand out without trying too hard.
Our solution? Break the format entirely.
The 60s spot opens with a rapid-fire collage of “triggers”—beauty overload, greasy food, daily stress—each styled like a hyperreal ad-within-an-ad. Then, the tone shifts. We drop behind the scenes. The cast—real teens with real acne—are no longer performing. They’re just existing. Resetting. Breathing. The result feels more like a series than a commercial.
The idea was simple: don’t tell Gen Z what’s real. Show them.
Without breaking pharma rules, we captured something honest: not clear skin, but clarity. Not influencers, but main characters. And in a category built on overpromising, that restraint hit harder than any before-and-after ever could.
