BRAND:
MAYBELLINE NEW YORK
AWARD CATEGORY:
The Best Influencer Strategy
CAMPAIGN TIME RANGE:
13/3/2023 - 28/5/2023
CREDITS:
AGENCY - XYZ SAIGON
CASE STUDY VIDEO
STRATEGY
Makeup penetration in Vietnam is still humble - just 1/3 penetration versus other countries in APAC. Moreover, 70% of consumers do not know how to wear makeup. As the No.1 makeup brand, Maybelline has one & only one OBSESSION: To recruit new users of makeup.
However, a significant obstacle exists: a lack of makeup knowledge and skills among newcomers. While new users still don't know how to makeup or have any skills to cover up/correct flaws, social media & low-priced brands pushed them even further, perpetuating the typical beauty standards which are dying in perception.
As a brand for all, we see it’s the calling to embrace diversity & take on the leadership to educate this rising makeup habitat while being differentiated from thousands of makeup brands out there.
The direction was as clear as day. Maybelline wants to be Gen Z's partner-in-crime.
To be among, not above, it’s all about resonating with Gen Z’s current values of beauty & helping them learn how to makeup, sustainably - of which fad brands don’t have the values & capacity to do.
Our strategy involves a transformative shift from typical awareness campaigns to social education & activation. So instead of relying solely on BRAND-TALK, we created the disruptive Wave of Authentic Influence, driven by community, KOCs, and celebrities' endorsements, to celebrate Gen Z's diverse true image.
INSIGHT
While the beauty industry promotes typical beauty standards of flawlessness, our genuine conversations with GenZ revealed otherwise.
Initial discussions with consumers revealed a strong demand for inclusive beauty products, reflecting a departure from previous generations. In contrast to Gen X and Gen Y, Gen Z prioritizes individuality and confidence in their values, using makeup to express their true selves rather than conceal perceived flaws. Euromonitor's 2022 report supports this, ranking "inner confidence" as the second most vital aspect of beauty, highlighting Gen Z's emphasis on authenticity.
Despite their keen awareness of brand messaging, Gen Z prefers peer influence, particularly from Key Opinion Consumers (KOCs) who interestingly is at the fore-front of face-shaming - a concerning trend that goes against the promotion of inner confidence.
Recognizing this as both a challenge and an opportunity for meaningful action, Maybelline responded by empowering Gen Z to embrace their imperfections through a KOC-led campaign, bridging the gap between brands and the community while challenging societal prejudices surrounding face-shaming.
CREATIVE IDEA
In a world fixated on a conventional beauty standard, Maybelline boldly championed a paradigm shift for Vietnamese Gen Z. Instead of concealing so-called "flaws" like darker skin and monolid eyes, we harnessed the power of makeup to celebrate these unique features. Our mission was clear: to CRUSH beauty standards and prove that EVERY FLAW IS A 10 (Khuyetdiem10).
Honey skin? Show it off!
Monolid eyes? Let them shine!
Maybelline rallied the entire spectrum of the beauty industry in Vietnam with the groundbreaking #KHUYETDIEM10 campaign. Through the first-ever virtual #makeuplibrary on TikTok - an innovative space promoting diversity in makeup, we voiced up about how we feel about embracing our flaws & later turned this library into a crowd-funded educational resource and a platform for KOCs - makeup experts to push boundaries.
By embracing and showcasing individual facial features, we shattered the one-size-fits-all beauty myth, reinforcing that there's no singular standard. Maybelline's commitment to CSR shines through this initiative, empowering makeup enthusiasts and fostering an inclusive community.
CONNECTION PLAN
Our strategy involves a transformative shift from typical awareness campaigns. Instead of relying solely on BRAND-TALK, we create a Community-to-Celebrity flow.
Firstly, Maybelline sparks social conversations by empowering KOCs to boldly embrace their true image and respond to negative comments about their face flaws, inspiring the community to break free from negativity and celebrate uniqueness. To showcase our brand endorsement, we launch "Every Flaw is a 10" music video playlists featuring 3 KOCs with unique face flaws, representing how Gen Z's embrace of flaws with our products which perfectly turn flaws into “flawsome”.
Secondly, we foster brand connection by leveraging real series from KOCs addressing social shaming about their innate flaws and proudly showcasing their "flawsome" transformations with MNY's products.
Lastly, to turn this into Brand-Action, Maybelline introduced the biggest virtual makeup library, a pioneering effort in the beauty industry to educate Vietnamese young beginners how to do makeup and encourage beauty enthusiasts to express diversity through makeup. Amplified by hundreds of KOCs & celebrities on TikTok, this library, as the brand's commitment to corporate social responsibility, is also:
A crowd-funding educational resource for all makeup users, empowered by Maybelline. A space for the makeup experts to innovate beyond boundaries in exciting and inclusive ways.
By praising each individual's facial flaw and celebrating a diverse range of facial features, we reaffirmed that there is no singular standard of beauty and every face feature is a ten.
OBJECTIVE-BASE KPI
With the shout-out “EVERY FLAW IS A 10”, the campaign's impact extended beyond makeup. Maybelline New York has successfully created a beauty culture that is inclusive, uplifting, and diverse which perfectly resonated with Gen Z.
Thanks to the makeup library, we went viral on social media, especially on TikTok:
- 5 million engagements, 2.5 billion views, 310,000 videos created by both KOCs & real users
- 3 million consumers were inspired and learnt how to makeup.
- Uplift 7.2pt for key message “Every flaw is a ten”
Sales & penetration achieved:
- No.1 Online-and-Offline makeup brand
- Uplift 1.2 new users recruit
- Sales EVOL vs LY achieved 280% for LIP products, 128% for total
- Triple market share for LIP products as compared to 2022
- X2 ROAS versus last campaign.
At the end, for total Maybelline New York business and brand health results:
- Uplift 6.1pt – campaign awareness – X2 benchmark APAC FMCG
- BRAND POWER UPLIFT +3pt
- BRAND MEANINGFULNESS: +11 pt
- Brand I Trust: +5pt
- Brand that show me how to makeup: +5pt
- Brand that provide me high-quality product: + 3pt
