A closer look at multi-brand campaign Wake Up Make Up, which successfully mobilised distributors alongside the Division’s brands in Europe. A behind-the-scenes look at a winning partnership by Betty Quigley, Head of Sales, Consumer Products Division, Amos Susskind, General Manager Consumer Products Division, UK & Ireland, and Anika Majithia, General Manager, L'Oréal UK & Ireland Mass Makeup.

BETTY QUIGLEY

Today we’re talking about Season 2 of the Back to Beauty campaign. This time, the big focus was on the makeup category—because makeup was the category most impacted by the multiple lockdowns. And while we were all hoping for the Roaring Twenties—and that didn’t quite happen— it was our responsibility, as leaders in makeup, to do everything we could to reignite the category. And we did just that. 

AMOS SUSSKIND 

In the UK, the makeup category has been particularly impacted by the pandemic due to restrictions on social lives, as well as mask-wearing. Entering 2021, despite the prospect of another year of Covid, we took the bet to wake up the makeup market, with the ambition to get the business back to pre-pandemic levels. And the key area was the global Wake Up Make Up campaign.

BETTY QUIGLEY

This has been the most emblematic campaign that we have done so far. Where the sanitary situation allowed us, we celebrated every makeup moment. We celebrated makeup for going back to the office, makeup for going out to meet friends, makeup for celebrating every moment that we had missed. And success again was down to being bold in our ambition and in our activation, we did that in many markets across the world, and the UK is one of those.

How did you activate Wake Up Make Up in the UK and make the overall makeup category bounce again in 2021?

ANIKA MAJITHIA

Our number one obsession in the UK was reinventing our consumer activation model. Our priority was reigniting the joy that makeup brings to our UK consumers.

First, we quickly embraced booming new platforms, like TikTok. Thanks to amazing innovations from our global teams—like Maybelline’s Sky High mascara and L’Oréal Paris’ Infallible powder—we quickly pivoted our focus and investment and quickly became some of the most talked about makeup brands in the UK. Our second priority was building community directly with our consumers. Now, consumers are our number one advocate and they have moments to discuss that passion for makeup online together. And, finally, we democratised digital services. We made sure every single UK consumer could try on our products safely from the comfort of their own home. 

Can you tell us about your obsession number two?

AMOS SUSSKIND 

Obsession number two was partnering with our key retail partners to reignite the makeup market and recreate excitement around makeup. Wake Up Make Up was a big focus for us, and we activated it big time in the UK. We created our first ever large scale makeup event—‘Makeup for what you missed’—reminding our consumers of all the joy makeup brings. With a full 360 activation in stores and online—as well as huge social media and out-of-home media—this event helped us accelerate our leadership in the market. A big thank you to our partners.

Which was the third obsession, that is very close to your heart?

ANIKA MAJITHIA

Our final obsession was using makeup to drive tangible societal change in the UK. We were proud to drive our Maybelline Make Up Not Make Waste recycling programme, which makes recycling your used makeup products easy and accessible for every consumer in the UK. On top of that, we were proud to be a changemaker for UK diversity, through our partnership with NYX Professional Makeup, UK Black Pride and Stonewall in the bid to be the champion of diversity for the makeup category.

AMOS SUSSKIND 

Three great obsessions that allowed us to wake up the makeup market to pre pandemic levels in the UK.

BETTY QUIGLEY

Congratulations to all the UK team and to all our markets across the globe. Super exciting, super inspiring, I can’t wait for Season 3!