BRAND: ULTA BEAUTY
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THE BEAUTY OF…
They say that the beauty industry has come a long way, but why is the word “beautiful” still giving many the ick?
Hmmm… That’s odd.
To make it make sense, here’s what I did:
Eavesdropped on the social media conversation surrounding beauty standards and what’s considered “beautiful” these days
Self-reflected on my own experience, as someone who doesn’t wear makeup or engage in a 10-step skincare regimen
Interviewed everyone who I considered to be only one phone call away, peeking under the hood to understand how they’re wrestling with the beauty industry and the concept of beauty itself
Refused to back down when some Twitter users were being hurtful to one of our guests, Dylan Mulvaney.
Artifacts I created: creative brief, full 4C deck.
The Background.
Every TikToker, celebrity, influencer, and a friend of a friend is eyeing slice of the beauty pie.
2022 was the year of DTC brands. With more options and outlets for beauty than ever before, Ulta Beauty had to double down on building a meaningful relationship with its audience to remain a leader in the category.
Not just via promos or special sales (which people love), a relationship that proved to the beauty community that we weren’t just there to sell to them, we were there for them.
The Challenge.
On the surface, it looks like the beauty industry has come a long way.
Just by glancing at the sheer volume of conversations in beauty, one would have thought that we have truly left the era where beauty only belonged to the select few behind.
The rise of more relatable beauty creators, the boom of BIPOC-owned brands, brands expanding their shade ranges, made it all the way more hopeful.
The Tension.
But underneath all of the glamor, what gets to be deemed as ‘beauty’ is still very much one-tone, one-note, and one-dimensional.
Plastic surgeries are on the rise.
Image problems among teenage girls have never been more widespread.
The culture of silence around women’s life transitions still existed.
As it turned out, what seemed like ‘progress’ got stuck on the surface.
A 2021 study found that 94% of female participants felt pressured to look a certain way, and 90% reported using filters or editing tools to achieve that aspirational look.
— Dazed Digital
“Not only are we being exposed to more beautiful faces on a daily basis, but people are making themselves more beautiful than ever.”
— Vice I-D
“As we continue to look at ourselves through various screens, our beauty cup runneth over, leading us to wonder if we should remove the buccal fat from our cheeks, and whether our torsos are adequately defined. Being in a body has never been as fraught as it is now.”
— New York Times
The Opportunity.
In an era where people are gaslighting themselves out of their own possibilities, how can Ulta Beauty help people realize them?
Isn’t it weird that the moments we feel the most beautiful often have nothing to do with how we look?
Beauty isn’t just the perfect glammed makeup on our Instagram Story.
Beauty lies in loving our postpartum bodies, unapologetically.
Growing out our gray hair.
Practicing our self-affirmation in front of the mirror while brushing our teeth.
All of the moments that are seemingly ‘unglossed’, that are too often neglected and uncaptured in culture, are actually where beauty lies.
The Insight.
Beauty shines the brightest in moments and places that are often the most unseen, unsung, and therefore, uncelebrated.
The Brief.
Open our eyes to the hidden corners of beauty.
The Idea.
The Beauty Of… Podcast
The Beauty Of… wasn’t just a podcast, it was a way for Ulta Beauty to hold safe space for communities and conversations that weren’t being had. We handed the mic to those who’s stories and experiences needed to be shared. From activists to advocates, artists to influencers, cultural change-makers shared their own stories, perspectives, hopes and dreams – some more familiar, others foreign.
Yes, we ruffled some feathers along the way, but that was okay. Because ultimately, change doesn’t happen without discomfort. It happens when as a society, we engage and more importantly, truly listen. When we can have a two-way conversation about what needs to be changed.
Result: We organically garnered over 6 million listens and views, nearly 7,000 comments, countless tweets and articles. Thanks to popular demand, The Beauty Of… is now gearing up for its fourth season of heartfelt, hilarious and eye-opening discussions.