Beauty is a means of connection—think of the millions of comments, messages, posts, and forum threads that have been dedicated to online users discussing their HG (Holy Grail) beauty products or asking for product recommendations. Urban Decay is tapping into that power of connection with a beauty campaign marrying its latest launch from the well-loved Naked range, the Naked Mini Palette, with human interaction, all built on Pinterest. It’s also the platform’s first-to-market, beauty-related Creators Gallery Quiz experience.
The endeavor marks another chapter in Pinterest’s immersive digital beauty strategy, following a recent fragrance collaboration and Story Pins for creators, and offering more inclusive search results for its 400 million+ users. The company recently noted a rise in “Bestie Aesthetic” searches, which, together with Urban Decay’s new eyeshadow product, resulted in a personalized, three-part, image-based quiz, with the tagline “Find your alter ego aesthetic.” It allows users to build a mood board of their life, which in turn determines their palette recommendation. The outcome is one of the three new palette shade options: Sin (blush-toned neutrals), Half-Baked (bronze-tone neutrals), and Foxy (olive-toned neutrals).
"Pinterest was the perfect platform for our Naked Mini Eyeshadow Palettes campaign, given their mission is to bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love. Our campaign’s ultimate goal was to encourage taking the time to get inspired and have fun experimenting with versatile looks unique to everyone’s most authentic selves," Malena Higuera, General Manager US at Urban Decay, tells BeautyMatter.
Creators Ofunne Amaka and Jaleesa Jaikaran devised designated beauty tutorials for each palette in Pinterest’s Idea ads format. In the spirit of the “Bestie Aesthetic,” each ad features two looks using the same palette. “Pinterest has been a huge part of my journey as a makeup artist and creator—growing my presence on the platform and being able to work with brands like Urban Decay to show different ways beauty lovers can create their own looks using products I love,” Jaikaran, a professional makeup artist who also has a Pinterest Creator Originals show, “Beauty BFF,” states.
Higuera comments on the partnership: “Both Jaleesa and Ofunne have authority within the beauty space over many years and have been producing inspiring content on Pinterest. We wanted to showcase the versatility of the Naked Mini Palettes and knew that their makeup experitize balanced with authenticity would appeal to Pinners, who come to the platform for education and tutorials to act on trends.”
There are 67 million people currently engaging with beauty content on Pinterest—a promising number of eyes on the activation. "Urban Decay is the makeup brand for anyone looking to have fun while experimenting with new makeup looks," Higuera proclaims. "That’s why we love to bring our free-spirited, quirky and experimental community fun interactive ways to experience Urban Decay. This first-to-market activation within beauty on Pinterest is another way we can inspire and help keep Urban Decay top of mind when wanting to try a new, fearless look."
Image based, personalized, and a quick-tap transaction, Urban Decay’s Pinterest campaign, backed by Amaka’s and Jaikaran’s fanbases, brings together a multitude of experiential touchpoints and strategies—a sign of the continually evolving landscape of social media activations and its increasingly interactive future.
