Since its launch, Instant Eraser had swiftly achieved icon status with its groundbreaking packaging design and formula, a first-to-market concealer that did way more than conceal.
And due to its award-winning performance with users of all skin types, even imitators couldn’t compare over the years. But fifteen years later, Maybelline found its share of the market threatened by the proliferation of dupes with similar packaging and formulas which were rapidly eating away at the share the brand had held for years.
So what did we do? We reminded the world of the icon that Instant Eraser is, with a trio of iconic users of the product.
For the films, we did not use digital filters to create its texture. Instead, we took an analog and digital approach, utilizing 35mm and 16mm film, broadcast cameras and even an iPhone 8 to create a visually rich, modern-vintage texture inspired by found footage.
“I see her backstage all the time.” - Naomi Campbell / “She always covers for me.” - Gigi Hadid
For our script, we used all of Instant Eraser’s product attributes to walk a tight line of double meaning, with a script that told a full product story (coverage, shade range, staying power) disguised as hints and chatter about “the icon” from our cast.
We rolled this campaign out globally in three phases.
Since Maybelline is also synonymous with the supermodels like Christy Turlington and Adriana Lima, we first dropped three short teasers with one simple question: “Who is she?” Who is more of an icon than Gigi, RuPaul and Naomi? And as expected, the internet went crazy with their speculation.
Then, on the night of The Emmys (9/15/2024), we dropped the :30 on primetime television and the full long-form trailer on Instagram and TikTok. That same week, we debuted a coordinated global launch of OOH to take advantage of the throngs of influencers traveling for the Fashion Week season.
So far, the results are pointing to one of the biggest revivals in brand history, outperforming all media and sales benchmarks with Maybelline's share regained in the US and EU.