Maybelline’s in-Game Marketing Strategy

Many might be of the opinion that beauty and gaming do not belong in the same category. Times are changing and people are creating their own worlds with the help of gaming. In some games, avatar customization is a major feature.

Players are able to change the appearance of their avatars. As a result of the pandemic, a large number of people do not get the opportunity to try out different outfits and looks as they are mostly confined indoors. For them, the fantasy lands of the virtual world have to suffice. Beauty brands see this as an opportunity to promote their products. Maybelline is the latest brand to get in on the action.

Embracing the gaming community

Fashion brands have already been making an increasing appearance in the game space, beauty brands would only follow, although they are still  rare. Beauty brands have been resorting to digitalization because of social distancing and hygiene protocols during the pandemic.

Product testers are not available in stores anymore although they are gradually making a comeback. This led to the augmented reality filters which customers used to test makeup. Maybelline took a step ahead by partnering with Zynga to launch a campaign which would act as a combination of in-store ad and  mobile game. The audience the brand has in mind is the casual gamer.

The playable ad

The game was launched on August 25 and features three products from the brand. The three products are mascaras. Users can blend three icons together to reveal a mascara and earn points. The game is called , ‘Maybelline Mascara Merge’.

When a mascara is revealed, a product review will follow. When the time runs out, players of the game will come across a link to an Ulta beauty page where they can buy the product. The experience the players will get would be an immersive one. The focus of the campaign is on Gen Z who are not interested in passive advertisement.

Targeting the gamer consumer base

The brand MAC had set up a booth at TwitchCon , the video game convention in 2019. That had been a wise move as the gaming community has been increasingly integrating fashion and beauty into their streams. Maybelline realized that a fun concept like this would only help to reach the target audience as half of Zynga’s audience is female.

Zynga’s in-house partnership arm helped to develop the game. A campaign like this would not only help to drive awareness but would also help to impact consumers.

The gaming community is fertile ground for such experimental marketing efforts which successfully blur the boundaries between beauty and gaming. Maybelline’s effort to create an immersive experience would help it to connect successfully with its customers. Players would engage more deeply as they would earn points that would be of value.

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