MAC Cosmetics announced Grammy-winning artist Doja Cat as its newest Global Ambassador with a bold red carpet reveal at the 2025 MTV VMAs. Since first introducing RuPaul as a celebrity face in 1994, MAC has consistently led at the intersection of beauty and culture through iconic, unexpected partnerships. Signing Doja Cat marked the next evolution of that legacy, a strategic move to reinforce MAC’s artistry leadership while engaging a new generation of consumers.
The campaign centered on two objectives: (1) Create a disruptive, culturally resonant launch impossible to ignore, and (2) Amplify global brand relevance among Gen Z and Millennials through an earned-first, high-impact moment. The VMAs served as the ideal stage. With Doja set to open the show and her fifth album releasing shortly after, the timing maximized visibility and momentum.
Doja’s fearless, ever-evolving artistry aligns seamlessly with MAC’s DNA: bold, expressive, and unapologetically creative. The partnership reveal, in which Doja appeared to “eat” a lipstick on the red carpet (later revealed to be chocolate), reasserted MAC’s reputation as a trendsetter. The stunt tapped directly into Gen Z slang, specifically “ate,” meaning to perform exceptionally, look amazing, or execute flawlessly, allowing the moment to travel organically across social platforms and deeper into youth culture.
The result was more than a celebrity announcement; it was the debut of a new era. The moment set the stage for global storytelling, long-term campaign rollouts, and renewed relevance across markets, positioning MAC once again at the center of beauty and culture.
The brand’s strategy to reveal Doja Cat as its newest ambassador and cut through the clutter of cookie cutter announcements, was to use a national, cultural moment like the VMAs - that was being live streamed for all to see - to orchestrate a moment that would shock fans in the now and bleed into the social sphere.
The partnership announcement was executed through a three-wave campaign:
The first wave unfolded live on the VMA red carpet, where Doja stunned audiences by applying one of MAC’s signature lipstick and then proceeded to eat it, creating a real time social frenzy and stunning reporters at the red carpet. Her actions ignited people’s immediate response as to whether she really just ate a lipstick and why. The ambiguity fueled intrigue and speculation, driving organic conversation across various social platforms. MAC specifically chose to lead with a stunt approach because they knew it would garner unmissable footage for the press on the carpet and be shared immediately to social platforms. This made the night not just about music, but about what MAC Cosmetics and Doja are doing together. When traditionally, talent announcements break in the press first with orchestrated interviews, the brand opted to formulate a social break beyond its owned channels that had legs for engagement everywhere.
The second wave followed with an exclusive feature in InStyle, confirming the collaboration and officially naming Doja as the MAC’s new global ambassador. This exclusive served as the authoritative reveal that validated the stunt and fueled a cascade of coverage from People, ELLE, Allure, Billboard, and Glamour. The footage of Doja’s red carpet moment gained television pickup from Entertainment Tonight and Extra TV, extending visibility across broadcast and digital media.
The third wave activated across the MAC’s owned social channels, where content was released in a layered fashion to sustain momentum. The brand first posted teasers linking to the red carpet stunt before fully revealing Doja’s ambassador role the next day with a striking campaign image of her wearing the same lip shade that she ate on the red carpet the day prior. Complementary posts spotlighted the viral collaboration with celebrity chocolatier Amaury Guichon with who has 85 million social following, alongside memes and behind-the-scenes content that deepened engagement.
By orchestrating a reveal that was equal parts stunt, storytelling, and social spectacle, MAC Cosmetics turned a partnership announcement into a full-fledged cultural event, one that captured attention in the moment and redefined how beauty brands connect with audiences in real time.
Doja Cat’s head turning stunt in collaboration with MAC on the VMAs red carpets translated to editorial buzz, social fervor, and full blown media & viewer aha moment.
The strategic rollout led to features and headlines in notable outlets such as People Magazine, ELLE, Allure, Billboard and Glamour. Entertainment Tonight and Extra TV ran segments of the stunt as well mentioning its connection to the brand. The coverage generated 2.8M in Media Impact Value, per Launchmetrics
MAC’s consistent posting on their owned social channels timed to the stunt yielded 70 posts which secured 32M views and 1.2M engagement.
Doja’s pre shot campaign photo with her wearing the Lady Danger lip shade achieved 9.4M views and 384K engagements alone making it the top Instagram post for MAC during this campaign.
The social buzz also translated into DTC results as MAC released three product bundles featuring Doja’s looks on its TikTok Shop less than 24hrs later. The brand continued the storytelling with its pre-planned new arrivals campaign on TikTok Shop.
Lastly, buzz also spread across influential cultural and marketing accounts such as People Brands and Things, Marketing.With.M, and Outlander Magazine, each praising the activation as a masterclass in social storytelling.
