Estée Lauder Cos. Inc. is using not one, but two digital influencers to launch its splashy, new repurposed brand, Flirt Cosmetics – Amber Rose and The Estée Lauder Cos creative director Donald Robertson.
Together, they will reveal Flirt Flashes, the first product to debut under the Flirt Cosmetics brand, a stand-alone company that is not affiliated with Estée Lauder.
According to the brand, the mission is to “bridge the gap between beauty and the massive entity that is social media,” and thanks to Amber’s 12.1 million Instagram followers and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model, this could become a reality.
This marks the first time the beauty giant will introduce a brand born online with e-commerce as its only sales channel.
John Demsey, executive group president at the Estée Lauder Cos. Inc.called Flirt Cosmetics an online brand created for a “new generation” that’s powered by social media. After reading a cover story on Amber, he immediately had Robertson link up with her on social media.
The rest was “social media history,” according to Demsey.
“When he [Robertson] approached me with the idea I was like, I’m tatted, bald headed, I talk about sex like really raunchy — but I’m very sex positive — but I just speak my mind. Are you sure you want me for your brand? I’m not sure. I have SlutWalk and s–t,” Amber said. “It’s the perfect match. I am their modern-day woman. My 12 million Instagram followers get it.”
Roberston pointed out that the brand will roll out a series of “hit products” versus a “big dump.”
“It’s for people who aren’t super hardcore makeup, but who want to be able to apply these things….It’s hard to come up with new stuff; you are jaded people. What are we going to do, come up with an eye palette and wow you?” Robertson said.
The brand has one product to start, Flirt Flashes which will go on sale Sept. 15 at Flirtcosmetics.com. The false lash applicator, which has a patent-pending technology and design, dispenses false “lash buds” that are customizable by the user. The applicator holds a maximum of 40 lash buds, giving a wearer the choice to apply a bud or two on the outer corners of their eyes to several buds across their entire lid for a more dramatic effect. According to Flirt, it’s also a smart beauty product, and customers can connect with their smartphones to watch tutorials and video content. Rose didn’t have a hand in product development.
The project has reportedly been years in the making.
“The new celebrities are the social influencers, and quite honestly some make more money than the people who get Emmy Awards….If you can deliver an audience and prove that someone can buy your product, you can get paid. As long as that works it will continue to blossom,” Demsey told WWD last month.
source: WWD
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