In 2005, MS&L was engaged by the Cosmetic Surgery Foundation, the educational arm of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS), to help eliminate confusion and misperceptions about cosmetic surgeons and their qualifications, ultimately building preference for AACS members.

MS&L created a campaign that would arm the public and the media with the facts about cosmetic surgery, patient safety and the qualifications of practitioners so that prospective patients could make informed decisions about cosmetic enhancement. After nine months of development, Be Wise About Beauty launched in January of 2007 at the group’s Annual Scientific Meeting.

The campaign includes three key initiatives: outreach to beauty, consumer health and lifestyle media; support and consumer-friendly resources for member physicians; and creation of a consumer-focused Web site that attracts attention and shares the “facts” about cosmetic surgery and qualified practitioners in a compelling and credible format.

The Web site, www.bewiseaboutbeauty.org, includes information on procedures, important questions to ask a physician when considering cosmetic surgery, an interactive “Beauty Monitor Quiz,” and links interested people to the AACS physician finder. MS&L’s interactive team also executed an “online optimization” plan to help guide consumers seeking information online to the site as a primary resource.

To support individual physician’s involvement in this educational campaign, MS&L created a comprehensive Physician Toolkit. It contains a variety of physician resources, an in-office patient video, an educational consumer brochure, and a guide to help physicians educate their patients and the media about the differences between cosmetic and plastic surgery. The Physician Toolkit also was made available in both print and online formats for easy updating and member access. As part of an aggressive media relations program, MS&L trained Academy spokespersons, developed messaging and media materials and conducted a long lead desk side media tour and a radio media tour; and created a b-roll package and an ongoing news bureau.

Although the campaign is still young, it has already garnered more than 150 million media impressions including placements in USA Today, MSN.com and Voice of America radio, placements in several top 10 daily newspapers, and mentions in hundreds of online blogs and Internet news sites. Most importantly, with the launch of the campaign, MS&L has helped position CSF and members of AACS as knowledgeable and respected sources for information on cosmetic surgery and patient safety.