NIVEA's 'Sun Courts' turn courts into UV-reactive sunscreen coaches — Loeries Gold

In Brazil, where sport is a way of life, over 85 million people exercise outdoors every week but only 10% wear sunscreen; protection is seen as cosmetic rather than functional, and the sun-care category stays small despite some of the world's highest UV levels.

Paint courts with UV-reactive ink so 'Apply sunscreen now' appears exactly when UV peaks — the sun becomes opponent and coach, protection trained like sport.

NIVEA and Saatchi & Saatchi ME built basketball courts painted with special UV-sensitive ink: when UV peaked, courts revealed messages like 'Apply sunscreen now' and 'UV at its strongest', and the paint itself cut UV reflection by 17%. Geo-fencing sent real-time alerts and offers, schools added sun protection to exercise prep, and retailers stocked sunscreen as sports gear.

Around the courts, sun-care search interest rose 45%, dwell time rose 90%, habitual sunscreen use among surveyed players tripled, and 67% of geo-fenced UV alerts were redeemed; the campaign won a Loeries 2025 Gold for Channel Creativity.

In Brazil, sport is a way of life — but sun protection is not. More than 85 million Brazilians exercise outdoors every week, yet only 10% wear sunscreen; in a tropical country with some of the world's highest UV levels, protection is treated as cosmetic rather than functional.

NIVEA's answer was to make sun safety something you train, like sport itself. With Saatchi & Saatchi ME, the brand built basketball courts painted with special UV-reactive ink: when UV intensity peaked, hidden messages such as 'Apply sunscreen now' and 'UV at its strongest' appeared on the court in real time. The sun became both opponent and coach.

The idea was built into a full behaviour system, not just an art stunt. The UV-reactive paint reduced UV reflection by 17%; geo-fencing sent real-time alerts and e-commerce offers to players; public schools introduced sun protection into exercise preparation; and sports retailers began stocking sunscreen as essential sports gear.

Around the courts, sun-care search interest rose 45%, dwell time at the installations rose 90%, habitual sunscreen use among surveyed players tripled, and 67% of geo-fenced UV alerts were redeemed. Brand consideration among new users in activated regions rose more than 20%, and the campaign won a Loeries 2025 Gold for Channel Creativity.

Embedding the message in the game puts sunscreen in the same category as shoes and warm-ups — performance prep, not a cosmetic chore.

The UV-reactive ink made the reminder appear exactly when it was needed, with no preaching.

The courts created a repeatable physical ritual, training a habit rather than delivering an impression.

Geo-fencing turned every court into a media network with measurable behaviour change.

Put the safety message into the environment where the risky behaviour happens, at the moment it happens — the medium itself delivers the reminder, no lecture required.

Sun Courts became a fixture of the 2025 awards season: Gold for Channel Creativity and Bronze for Live Activations at the Loeries, a finalist at LIA 2025 in Ambient & Activation, and an entry in the Epica Awards winners' archive. NIVEA did not disclose how many courts were painted or how long they stayed, but the numbers it published — 45% more sun-care search interest, triple habitual usage among surveyed players, 67% redemption on UV alerts — were widely cited as proof that a health message embedded in play beats awareness advertising.