Summary
Picture this; a beauty brand taking on gaming trolls.
When Maybelline unveiled their bold “Under the Avatar” campaign against online bullying in gaming, we knew conventional beauty marketing wouldn’t cut it. Our solution? Smash through category barriers and turn a powerful message into an omnichannel experience that had both gamers and beauty lovers hitting pause to take notice.
Playing for Change
It started with a gut-punch of reality: Maybelline’s social experiment showed male gamers what it’s really like to game as a female-identifying gamer. The stats were shocking – 76% of female-identifying gamers face harassment, whilst 71% of male gamers stay silent when witnessing it. Could retail media change the game?
We threw out the rulebook. Make up in the Gaming aisle? Gaming in the Beauty section?
Let’s do it.
We plastered floor decals and wobblers across both territories in our busiest stores, while online, a dual-category approach led curious clicks to an immersive brand store. Here, visitors didn’t just skim – they stayed, they watched, they got it.
Turns out, when you dare to game-change for good, people pay attention. What began as a mission for social impact turned into something bigger: proof that authentic messages can cross aisles, break boundaries, and yes – even boost sales when they come from unexpected places in unexpected spaces.
It was an absolute pleasure to partner with MarketMedia/The Warehouse on such a special campaign. Thanks for all the support in bringing this to life online and in-store!
– Poppy Compston
Category Activation Lead – Cosmetics
Maybelline, L’Oreal Paris and Essie
We wanted to generate more than just empathy for those suffering from toxic abuse in the gaming world. We wanted anyone thinking that this behavior is tolerable to realise that there is a real human behind the avatar, and to give people the tools to stand up to online abuse.
– Melanie Bower
ANZ Marketing Director, Maybelline New York.
