THE 14TH ANNUAL SHORTY AWARDS

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Fenty Beauty - Diversity From Ownership to Product Set to Marketing Campaigns in Beauty

Entered in Beauty, Campaign by Diverse-Owned Businesses

Objective

Pop sensation Rihanna created Fenty Beauty first with makeup, then skincare, haircare and perfume, to bring makeup that was accessible to all regardless of their genetic makeup. Fenty Beauty has not only redefined beauty standards but also set a new benchmark for how beauty products should represent and serve people of all backgrounds. Fenty Beauty's commitment to diversity is evident in every aspect of the Fenty beauty lines and was a key focus of The Media Images campaigns to break away from the norm of beauty marketing.

The campaigns focused so much on data and figures, but on being what the industry lacks, diverse from owner, to product, to marketing campaigns.

By creating a learning environment for viewers they not only get to know the product line, but also Fenty. Fenty fosters a sense of familiarity and connection, allowing individuals to feel that this celebrity-founded brand is genuinely for everyone. 

The Media Image set out to challenge beauty standards in marketing letting Fenty Beauty’s diverse products, team, and creative lead the way.

In redefining beauty standards, Fenty Beauty inspires consumers to embrace their unique identities and challenges the industry to prioritise representation. The brand not only sets a new benchmark for diversity but also ignites conversations around inclusivity, ultimately enriching the beauty landscape for all. Through its groundbreaking initiatives, Fenty Beauty does not just sell products, they champion a movement that celebrates the beauty in diversity.

Strategy

Central to the campaign’s success was the creation of a high-caliber user-generated content monitored and optimized by The Media Image to ensure max impact. Collaboration was key with influential beauty creators like Sarah Wolak, Gess, and Aurora—each with a substantial and engaged following within the beauty community. These influencers brought a level of authenticity and relatability.

The campaigns featured diverse micro-influencers and brand-created assets showcasing Fenty’s perfect skin-tone match, hair care products, and revolutionary 50-shades of skin matching foundation.

Fenty Beauty's inclusive strategy extends to collaborating with everyday users, ensuring that all voices are heard—regardless of follower count or background. By integrating user-generated content with brand-driven creative, Fenty fosters a sense of familiarity and connection, allowing individuals to feel that this celebrity-founded brand is genuinely for everyone. This approach dismantles the notion that luxury beauty is exclusive, promoting instead a culture of inclusivity and acceptance whether it be in skin care, hair care or beyond.

In every aspect, from influencer partnerships to creative direction, Fenty’s paid social campaigns reinforced Fenty Beauty’s dedication to diversity and its promise to provide accessible, high-performance beauty solutions for all. The campaigns not only capture the attention of the beauty world but also set a new standard for inclusive beauty marketing.

At the core of Fenty Hair’s success is the brand’s unyielding focus on diversity. Unlike traditional beauty campaigns that often feature products in isolation, Fenty Hair showcases real-world applications by models with a variety of hair textures, ranging from wavy to curly, coarse to fine, and everything in between. This commitment to representing the full spectrum of hair types not only celebrates beauty in all its forms but also establishes a direct connection between the product and the consumer. Viewers don’t just see the product in its bottle—they see it in use, on real people, with results that are relevant to them.

By creating a learning environment for viewers they not only get to know the product line, but also Fenty. Fenty fosters a sense of familiarity and connection, allowing individuals to feel that this celebrity-founded brand is genuinely for everyone regardless of their hair care struggles.

Results

As with their products, Fenty’s approach to diverse marketing yielded strong results, positive brand awareness, and a place in the beauty community only Fenty occupies. Fenty Beauty exemplifies a transformative commitment to diversity within the beauty industry, evident in both its innovative product offerings and inclusive marketing campaigns created and executed by The Media Image. 

The brand's dedication to representation is vividly showcased through its choice of models, diverse imagery, and a blend of Fenty-created and user-generated content and drove a 69% higher Click-Thru-Rate than forecasted at 1.86%.

Fenty also  saw incremental purchases within the traffic campaign totalling almost $20,000. 

Campaigns consistently performed above benchmark, with click through rates consistently above 1% regardless of product. Though ROAS was not the goal for these campaigns, complexion creative drove 100 purchases worth $7,124.19, and hair care generated 55% of purchases, totalling over $15,000 in value proving that the creative captured users attention in more than the consideration funnel.

Such diverse campaigns showcased the product in an “everyman light” allowing for success in a harder to crack online sales space of foundation.

Media

Entrant Company / Organization Name

The Media Image, Fenty Beauty

Entry Credits