Beauty marketing campaigns
Beauty and personal care campaigns that spread, from creator collabs to CGI and myth-busting. Grouped by tactic, with a one-line version for your brand.
Doable with a small team, gifting or a simple partner swap.
Needs a paid creator, some production or a co-branded product run.
Celebrity fees, TV airtime or a large custom build.
Budget is our estimate of what it would take to run the same idea yourself, not what the brand spent.
The collab
8 examples
Partner: [BRAND / PERSON] with an obvious link to you Thing: one product, ad or event you make together Run: limited Launch: both post the same day
Budget: Small to mid.
Vaseline Originals
With Ogilvy Singapore, Vaseline traced popular Vaseline hacks back to the creators who started them, named them Vaseline OGs and built real products from their ideas, sharing the revenue.
Result Built on more than 3.5 million Vaseline hack posts online. The earlier Vaseline Verified work won a Titanium Lion at Cannes.
Why it spread
Crediting and paying the people who made the trend turns a brand into a platform creators want to be part of. Source
Every Lord's got a Queen
Egyptian grooming brand Lord relaunched with sub-brand Queen, local celebrities, product names from Egyptian heritage and the slogan 'Every Lord's got a Queen in his corner'.
Result 70 million views across channels, per Campaign Middle East.
Why it spread
A catchy local slogan and jingle made an old brand feel current to Gen Z. Source
Michael CeraVe
CeraVe spent a month seeding a fake rumour, with paparazzi shots and influencers, that Michael Cera had founded the brand, then paid it off with a Super Bowl ad.
Result 9 billion earned impressions before kick-off.
Why it spread
A believable conspiracy gave creators something to debate before the ad even aired. Source
Lip Embalm
e.l.f. and Liquid Death's second collab: lip balms in mini tallboy cans based on Liquid Death flavours.
Why it spread
Both brands share an irreverent tone, so fans of each are primed for the joke. Source
Chubby Sticks x Crayola
Clinique relaunched its Chubby Sticks with Crayola, framing make-up as a playful tool for self-expression.
Why it spread
A crayon brand fits a crayon-shaped product and brings back childhood memories. Source
Tabasco lip gloss
Sephora launched a limited lip-plumping gloss inspired by Tabasco.
Why it spread
A hot sauce for a plumping gloss is a pairing that explains itself. Source
Primer Donnas
Maybelline made a spoof reality TV drama starring Ariana Madix to launch a lash product.
Why it spread
Reality TV drama is a format fans already watch and share. Source
The halftime compact
During her Super Bowl halftime show, Rihanna paused to touch up with a Fenty Beauty compact on stage.
Why it spread
A founder using her own product in front of the biggest TV audience of the year. Source
The billboard or street ad
6 examples
Site: [PLACE] that adds to the message Twist: [MOVEMENT / GAP / PUN / SOMETHING TO TAKE] Words: fewer than seven Capture: a clean photo for press on day one
Budget: Small to mid.
Scratch and sniff armpits
Bodycare brand Billie put scratch-and-sniff armpit posters near Penn Station.
Why it spread
An interactive, slightly gross poster gets touched and talked about. Source
The Thames bottle
The Ordinary showed a 12-metre version of its reformulated product sailing down the Thames on a branded boat.
Why it spread
A product at monument scale on a famous river is made for a short video. Source
The mascara buses
A CGI video of London transport wearing giant false lashes being brushed with mascara.
Why it spread
It looked real enough that people argued about whether it was, and shared it to ask. Source
The giant lipstick
A CGI animation on Instagram showed an oversized replica of L'Oréal's liquid lipstick in a real street setting.
Why it spread
The product becomes the landmark, so every view is a product shot. Source
The tourist window
Japan's largest cosmetics chain AINZ & TULPE made an interactive shop window that helped foreign tourists find products in their language.
Why it spread
It solves a real problem for a big group of customers, right at the point of sale. Source
The invisible ad
To launch Lynx Anarchy, Lynx built 'the world's first invisible ad' in Sydney: hacked screens in a house window that could only be seen through polarised glasses handed out to a few people.
Why it spread
Something only some people can see makes the rest want to find out what it is. Source
The emotional story
5 examples
Story: one person and one small moment Turn: a reveal or kindness near the end Product: part of the plot, not a pack shot Length: 60 seconds to 3 minutes
Budget: Mid to big.
Real Beauty Sketches
A forensic sketch artist drew women from their own description, then from a stranger's. The stranger's version was kinder.
Result Became one of the most-watched online ads of its time.
Why it spread
A simple reveal that gave people something to say about themselves when they shared it.
Marriage Market Takeover
SK-II's film told the stories of Chinese women labelled 'leftover' for being unmarried after 27, and took over Shanghai's marriage market with their messages.
Why it spread
It takes a side on a real cultural pressure its customers face. Source
Choose Beautiful
Dove put signs above two doors in five cities, 'Beautiful' and 'Average', and filmed which door women chose.
Why it spread
A simple choice says a lot about self-image, so viewers ask which door they'd take. Source
#LikeAGirl
People were asked to run, throw and fight like a girl. Adults mocked it; young girls didn't.
Why it spread
It reframed an everyday insult, and people wanted to take a side.
We believe in love
For Valentine's Day, Lush ran a 'We believe in love' campaign featuring same-sex couples, in response to Russia's anti-gay laws.
Why it spread
Taking a clear side on a news story at a romantic moment makes the brand's values visible. Source
The pop-up or experience
5 examples
Venue: a [SHOP / BAR / ROOM / VEHICLE] for [1–5 DAYS] Rule: the one unusual thing about it Photo spot: one shot everyone takes Invite: creators and press on day one
Budget: Small to mid.
The Markup Marché
Fake grocery stores selling everyday items at luxury prices, including a $175 banana, to call out beauty industry mark-ups.
Why it spread
It shows the brand's low-price stance instead of telling it. Source
The Secret Ingredient Store
The Ordinary opened a New York pop-up highlighting how much celebrity endorsements add to beauty prices.
Why it spread
It attacks the category's pricing in a way that proves its own point. Source
Scent of a Dream VR
Charlotte Tilbury launched its fragrance with a VR experience that took people into space with Kate Moss as guide.
Why it spread
Hard-to-show products like fragrance get a story people can step into. Source
Gabbi's Head
During the World Cup, Benefit Cosmetics opened a women-only pop-up pub for watching football and getting beauty treatments.
Why it spread
It gives women a space during an event that usually ignores them. Source
The podium aisle
As a London 2012 sponsor, Gillette placed a winner's podium in the middle of a German store, leading shoppers to the ProGlide Golden Edition.
Why it spread
Stepping onto a podium is a small moment of fun that shoppers act out and film. Source
The stunt
4 examples
Act: [WHAT YOU DO] in [PUBLIC PLACE / LIVE MOMENT] Twist: the one thing people will repeat Proof: why it fits your product Capture: film it properly and send to press the same day
Budget: Mid to big.
Blood for a Halloween collection
Make-up brand Lottie London encouraged shoppers to donate blood for a chance to win its Halloween collection.
Why it spread
A Halloween blood theme is linked to a real blood shortage. Source
A moment of nothingness
The Ordinary's parent company closed its website and every store on Black Friday, and ran 23% off for the whole of November instead.
Why it spread
Switching off on the one day everyone else shouts is louder than any discount. Source
The wanted suspects prank
To launch Stress Protect deodorant, Nivea pranked travellers at a German airport into believing they were wanted suspects, then handed them the product.
Why it spread
A rising-panic prank keeps people watching to the release, which is where the product appears. Source
Extreme Shampooing
To sell shampoo to men, VO5 filmed people washing their hair in extreme situations as a mock sport.
Why it spread
Turning a dull routine into an extreme sport makes it something men will talk about. Source
The real-time reply
3 examples
Moment: [NEWS / LIVE EVENT / RIVAL / VIRAL POST] Reply: one image or line, within hours Sign-off: one person who can approve quickly Follow-up: deliver on it if people rally
Budget: Mostly small.
Baseline
When a creator's video accidentally calling it "Baseline" became a meme, Vaseline mock-rebranded as Baseline and named her CEO.
Result Built on a creator video that passed 2 million views.
Why it spread
It moved within days and gave credit to the creator instead of taking over the joke. Source
The nipple sponsor
Vaseline took aim at runner's nipple, one of marathon running's least glamorous problems, at the London Marathon.
Why it spread
Naming an awkward problem everyone has gets a laugh and shows exactly what the product is for. Source
The egg shortage fix
The Ordinary and MSCHF responded to New York's egg shortage with a playful idea.
Why it spread
Jumping on a real news story with a twist gets coverage. Source
Let people make it
3 examples
Ask: one simple thing people can make Reward: [FEATURE / PRIZE / THE REAL THING] Show: the best entries, with credit Timebox: [2–4 WEEKS]
Budget: Mostly small.
Vaseline Verified
Vaseline tested the internet's beauty hacks and myths, verifying which ones really work.
Result Won top honours at Cannes Lions 2025, per Famous Campaigns.
Why it spread
It meets people where the hacks are already spreading, and gives a trusted answer. Source
r/eal reviews
Dove flyposted New York with real Reddit reviews of its Intensive Repair mask, good and bad.
Why it spread
Showing a mixed review makes the good ones more believable. Source
Eyes Lips Face
e.l.f. commissioned an original song for a TikTok hashtag challenge that spelled out the brand name.
Why it spread
The sound was catchy on its own, so creators used it far beyond the challenge.
Make the product do the marketing
2 examples
Feature: something useful or shareable inside [PRODUCT / PACK / APP] Moment: when people use it most Share: built in, one tap Measure: uses and shares
Budget: Small to mid.
The Sunslide
Nivea made a water slide that sprayed sunscreen on kids as they went down.
Why it spread
It turns a chore kids resist into a ride they queue for. Source
The Protection Ad
Nivea put a tear-off bracelet in Brazilian magazines that paired with an app so parents could keep track of their children at the beach.
Why it spread
The ad itself became a useful tool for the exact place the product is used. Source
The funny ad
2 examples
Truth: one thing everyone recognises about [TOPIC] Joke: exaggerate it until it's absurd Product: the punchline or the fix Length: under 60 seconds
Budget: Small to mid.
Girls Don't Poop
A prim, well-spoken spokeswoman explained the spray with bathroom jokes.
Why it spread
The contrast between the delivery and the topic made it quotable.
The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
A one-take ad with Isaiah Mustafa talking straight to camera, followed by rapid-fire personalised video replies to people commenting online.
Why it spread
The reply videos turned one ad into a live conversation people wanted to get pulled into.
More ideas
2 examples
Idea: [WHAT YOU'LL DO] Why it fits: [LINK TO YOUR PRODUCT] Where: [CHANNEL / PLACE] When: [DATE / MOMENT]
Budget: Varies.
Mustafa vs Crews
Old Spice brought back its two ad characters, smooth Isaiah Mustafa and shouting Terry Crews, and had them interrupt each other's ads while promoting different scents.
Result 11.6 million YouTube views within three months of the first ad, per Wikipedia.
Why it spread
Setting two known brand characters against each other turns a set of ads into a running feud people follow. Source
Lynx with Catnip
Lynx launched a body spray with catnip, to win over your date and her cat.
Why it spread
A silly dating hack is exactly the brand's tone. Source
How to use these ideas
- Start with a real skin, hair or routine insight.
- Show proof: before and after, testing, real reviews.
- Seed creators before launch.
- Give people a format to copy.
- Track by creator code.
Launching a beauty product?PRpackage.com gets products reviewed by the right creators.
See brand packagesBeauty Marketing Campaigns: FAQ
What are some successful beauty marketing campaigns?
Dove's Real Beauty Sketches, e.l.f.'s Eyes Lips Face, CeraVe's Michael Cera campaign and Maybelline's mascara buses are well-known examples.
How do beauty brands use influencers?
The examples here seed creators, credit the people who invented hacks, and use unexpected faces to create a debate.
What beauty marketing works on a small budget?
Myth-busting content, creator seeding with codes and a funny product-led stunt.
More viral marketing examples
By industry and season
Spot a mistake or know a campaign we should add? Email team@odim.co.