Benefit’s New Campaign Is All About ‘Raising a Brow’ to Being Bold

Benefit has long been known for its eyebrow products and services in particular, as it offers waxes, threading, tinting and more at its retail locations. But while Benefit’s new campaign, Boss Brows, is indeed about its signature product, the brand wanted to focus on something bigger: empowerment.

The campaign stars four faces, each of whom has a history of activism. One is singer and champion for LGBTQ rights Hayley Kiyoko, also known as “Lesbian Jesus” on social media. There’s also Mama Caxx, a model and advocate for body positivity; Jen Gotch, the founder and CCO of gift and accessory brand ban.do, who has a history in mental health activism; and Ericka Hart, a sex educator and podcaster. It was shot by photographer Maria Del Rio and art director Danielle Moore.

The campaign is intended to inspire and encourage people to “raise their voice,” said Erin Kramer, director of brand marketing for Benefit. She added that the brand was hoping to create a campaign that’s all “about confidence and beauty.” The idea is that when you feel confident in your brows, you feel the courage to tackle the world.

“This is going to be rooted in brows,” she said. “But we, as a company, we listen to our customer, and we see the conversations going on. We see that she is looking for a brand that really stands for something as well as just being a product.”

The multi-facted campaign has in-store and social elements, including an Instagram promotion that offers a 15% discount to anyone who shares a photo with the hashtag #benefitboss. Benefit will also be launching a product collaboration with ban.do, featuring a business card case, a notebook set, a makeup pouch, and a tote bag, all featuring empowering words like “resilience, strength and vulnerability” printed on them. Imagery throughout the campaign heavily features illustrations, as well as the color pink—Benefit’s signature.

“This is us showing our voice and who we are, just as our bosses, that’s what they stand for,” she said. “This collaboration in total is a cumulation of showing our voices. It’s very important that our message of inner beauty is there.”

When selecting the faces for the campaign, the team at Benefit took an “unscientific” approach. “We’re an office full of women, so we sat around and asked each other who inspires us, who do we follow on Instagram that we can’t stop telling our friends about, who opens you up to new ideas, who makes you feel more confident in your own ideas,” Kramer explained.

She said they were seeking people who spoke to different communities and came from different backgrounds in order to let all consumers feel like they could connect with its message.

“What’s important about this campaign is that it’s not just a women’s empowerment campaign, it’s a campaign for everyone that needs a voice,” said Kramer. “At a time where the beauty space is very noisy, there’s a lot of brands out there and a lot of conversations, it’s really important that we show who we are as a brand, and that people will align with that. … You’re going to see a lot of bold moves coming from Benefit.”

An image from Benefit's Boss Brows campaign.

Diana Pearl

@dianapearl_

Diana is a staff writer for Adweek.