Outlined below are two contextual elements that informed our content strategy:

1. The Social algorithm, particularly Tik Tok, favours engaging content created by the people, for the people. When translating this to advertising, traditional ‘push’ marketing (whereby a brand infiltrates a consumer’s feed with highly produced adverts) is no longer as effective, whereas “low-fi” content that is created by creators and seamlessly integrated in a person’s feed is favoured.

2. In 2022, a piece of influencer mascara content went infamously viral after being accused by the public of wearing false lashes in their content. This then sparked a global debate on how trustworthy influencer advertisement is, and thus lead to a shift in distrust and scepticism amongst the makeup community.

In conclusion, we knew as a brand that we needed to create a new type of content to cut through a saturated and distrusted market context.

In our unwavering pursuit for authenticity, we chose an unusual approach: collaborating with an independent artist to keep our content authentic and native to the platform.

Our singular focus was on uncovering talent that possessed the power to halt you in your tracks, and so it was on Instagram that we crossed paths with the remarkable work of artist, Ian Padgham.

The social media stunt needed to feature our iconic #1 mascara, but we deliberately didn’t over-brief to avoid the concept becoming too ad-like and dated. Instead, our objective was to create something so realistic, it would spark speculation on whether Maybelline actually managed to pull the stunt off in real life or not.

After initial brainstorms, we agreed on putting giant lashes on public transport. The silliness of humanising mundane objects instantly sparked feelings of joy, humour and relatability. We ultimately lent into gut instinct over typical brand guidelines.

We aim to shift consumer perceptions of Maybelline, transforming it from a corporate makeup brand selling products into a dynamic lifestyle brand that celebrates culture—a vision akin to becoming the 'Nike of the makeup world.'

But how? We decided to leverage our mascara campaign as a powerful vehicle to bolster brand equity - the heart of which was a piece of disruptive social content. Our aspiration was to transcend the expectations typically associated with a corporate giant like Maybelline by:

1. Infusing the content with the distinct flavour of UK cultural resonance

2. Create the element of surprise that captures our audience’s imagination and fosters organic social engagement.

Our goal was to evoke genuine love, unwavering trust, and unforgettable brand memorability. This strategy was not just about selling products; it was about cultivating a lasting bond with our audience, elevating Maybelline to a cultural icon in the makeup realm.

a. Within 1 week, the video surpassed 150 million views and garnered over 7 million engagements. The video has since been reposted in multiple countries, including USA, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Australia and more.

b. We received a remarkable 298% upsurge in EMV (Earned Media Value) for Sky High mascara compared to the preceding month.

a. The most successful sales period for Sky High mascara year-to-date, registering a remarkable +110% year-on-year growth, and the biggest peak week of sales during the 1st week of virality.

b. We further expanded our reach by re-posting on Paid Media across additional social platforms, driving an extra 9.6 million views and over 207 thousand engagements.

c. We also used this as test and learn opportunity, to see if Awareness-driving content could also convert sales, by briefing x5 influencers to stitch the Tik Tok video with a link to a 50% off Prime Day deal.