In an unprecedented collaboration, Lancôme, the first luxury beauty brand in the world, partnered with the largest curator of human beauty, the Louvre, in its quest to restore the role of beauty as powerful tool for self-expression of a new generation. This campaign pays tribute to the everlasting history of beauty found within the Louvre, the house of unparalleled excellence in craft. By reimagining these symbolic works of art with Lancôme’s modern-day beauty icons, we created a new masterpiece — one that elevates beauty to a cultural phenomenon.

In the ongoing conversation surrounding feminism and gender equality, a concerning trend has emerged — a societal stigma attached to the beauty industry. Despite significant strides made towards promoting freedom and empowerment, the industry continues to wrestle with this image of being superficial and vain. This scrutiny not only undermines women's autonomy but also perpetuates outdated stereotypes. For Lancôme, a brand that believes in the power of beauty as a tool for self-expression, empowerment, and self-care, it was crucial to challenge these negative perceptions and shift the conversation about beauty.

Furthermore, by elevating the role of beauty through the image of our culturally relevant ambassadors and through powerful works of historic art, we cater to the desire of a new generation that craves shared cultural experiences and blending the old with the new. For Lancôme, the world's oldest beauty brand, which holds a cultural significance in the minds of French consumers, we felt an obligation to reintroduce these historic symbols of beauty through a completely fresh lens.

At the time of the brief, Lancôme was facing a challenge in brand perception. The brand was losing its desirability as a luxury beauty brand especially amongst the younger consumers. Furthermore, the luxury market, especially in China and the US, was increasingly driven by a thirst for cultural experiences and brand collaborations. In this context, the objective of this collaborative campaign was to leverage the Louvre's global attractivity and cultural significance to reaffirm Lancôme's modernity and prestige amongst the younger generation.

By merging the worlds of beauty and art, the goal was to celebrate the notion of “beauty” beyond aesthetics, exploring also its diversity, emotions, and values. We then sought to draw parallels between each member of Lancôme’s diverse community of ambassadors with the masterpieces of the Louvre based on the stories and cultural significance of each piece that be relevant to each ambassador.

The strategic process began by understanding the shared values and common message that connect Lancôme to the Louvre. This called for a deep immersion into each other's universes: Lancôme explored the vast history the Louvre with its experts, while the Louvre discovered Lancôme's mission and engagements. From this process, we came to understand that there was a shared universal value that ties Lancôme and the Louvre together: the search for beauty. Throughout the strategic exploration, we worked closely with local markets, especially our local strategy team in Shanghai, to understand the cultural nuances concerning art, consumer perception of both the brand and the Louvre, and most importantly the meaning of beauty. These steps helped us craft a message that could resonate with a global audience.

The Louvre x Lancôme campaign unfolded as a comprehensive global initiative, engaging audiences through a multifaceted approach. From captivating beauty visuals to a compelling hero film, the campaign leveraged various mediums to convey its message of empowerment and artistic synergy. Digital content and 3D DOOH installations further extended its reach, immersing viewers in the intersection of art and beauty and touching a younger audience Spanning events and activations, the campaign came to life from September to December 2023. Developed over a two-year period in close collaboration with the Louvre, the campaign was the first commercial film to be shot inside the museum itself.

The campaign, deployed across 30 countries, 7.5 bilion in total reach, globally generated a total earned media value of 20 million euros. The campaign boosted brand engagement in China as the #1 trending topic on Weibo and the hashtag #lancomexlouvre generated 69.6 million views on TikTok alone. The campaign was perceived positively with 91% positive mentions in China, 74% in France and 61% in the US. In terms of brand perception, it particularly boosted the vectors of elegance, luxury, and empowerment of the brand, also developing new brand associations as “arty” and as a “brand with heritage”. Furthermore, the campaign had a clear impact on recruitment, with a 40% increase in Chinese retail touchpoints, a 52% increase in new customers in Japan, attracting younger consumers with a 3-year decrease in the average new customer age in South Korea and a 8-year decrease in Taiwan.