GenDigital

Estee's Aveda Brand Sets on a Green Path

Estee Lauder's Aveda brand will undergo a shift in marketing strategy in 2008 moving away from product-focused marketing executions towards a larger themed branding campaign around the company's green credentials. Unlike some other companies who have dipped their toes in the world of green marketing, Aveda actually has a pretty good story behind it. Beginning in January, Aveda will feature its factory in Blaine, MN as a back drop in their ad creative as a successful example of a building, or even a factory in this case operating thanks to windmills and the wind power they generate. They'll switch it up in February (although, I think they should keep the whole wind creative going at least for a couple of months) to their packaging efficiency highlighting their use of 100% post recycled packaging materials. Aveda always had that "earthy" or "crunchy" equity associated with it to some extent, it looks like this new campaign will only re-energize it and authentic it to a higher level. The brand, still very much in the middle of the pack when it comes to cosmetics and beauty product purchases made by teen and college aged women, has steadily gained share over the past three years--basically going from the bottom middle closer to the top section of the middle. Not great English, but hopefully you get the point...

Beverage To Beauty Product Trend Continues

You may remember a post we did a couple of months ago talking about a deal between beverage giant Coca Cola and beauty giant L'Oreal that called for a creation of a new drink dubbed Lumae that is suppose to help your skin look better. At the time, we didn't see this as a start of a new trend, but perhaps we might have been premature in making that call. Now, news is out that Pepsi's bottled water brand, Aquafina is working with licensee partner Added Extras to create Aquafina Advanced Hydration, a new skin care line. Experts say the deal makes sense since hydration is the essence of any effective skin care solution, and Aquafina after all, is all about hydration, right? There will be a total of 10 individual products under the Aquafina Advanced Hydration line costing between $4 and $20. The question is whether young women who are already partial to purchasing prestige beauty products or at least masstige beauty products will be fired up to try something from a brand they're used to drinking not applying to their faces. Expect to see an advertising campaign later this summer including print ads in beauty and style magazines In Style and Allure. If this trend continues, may be soon we'll see Red Bull lip balm targeted to avid male snowboarders. Hey, that acutally sounds pretty cool now that I think about it.

Coach Partnering With Estee Lauder For Brand Extensions

Coach, the number two luxury retail brand among college women behind only Burberry, has announced a deal with beauty heavyweight Estee Lauder and their BeautyBank division to co-develop a series of beauty products including a signature fragrance. The first round of products, which include the fragrance, are expected to be available next Spring in Coach stores or available for purchase on the Coach web site.

Elizabeth Arden Wants Teens To Say "So"

Fragrance and beauty icon Elizabeth Arden has its sights set on the teen female audience as it markets its new "So...?" fragrance at musical concerts and malls nationwide. When all is said and done, the event marketing push is expected to distribute 20,000 scent cards to females between the ages of 12 and 18. For a teen girl to secure one of the scent cards, she must provide her name and email address with an expectation that future marketing correspondence will soon follow. To also help promote the new teen targeted fragrance Elizabeth Arden has created a new web site.