L'Oréal Paris: 23 shades, 23 stories

L'Oréal Paris, a cosmetics brand, tackled the lack of diversity within foundation shades by turning its harshest critics into its biggest advocates in the UK and Ireland.

Campaign details

Brand: True MatchAdvertiser: L'Oreal ParisAgency: McCann LondonCountry: United Kingdom

Countries in which effectiveness was proven

Ireland & United Kingdom.

Campaign background

The UK and Ireland are diverse but foundation shades aren't

This is unacceptable.

Quite rightly, beauty bloggers were getting angry about it.

The almighty blogger, the key to PR and indirect sales had turned against the €190 million mass foundation market for not having shades. Social media had been buzzing for years and newspapers were fuelling the fire:

  • 2013: "I'm a Black Woman and I Just Want a Damn BB...

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