The Outlast Lipstick brand from Cover Girl was losing market share. We had to stop this decline. We needed to raise Outlast’s profile by setting Outlast apart from the crowd and increasing top of mind awareness. In a cluttered lipstick market, with little distinction between brands, this would be no easy task.

The campaign achieved very impressive results: in a market that showed a year-on-year lipstick sales decline, Outlast lipstick saw a 25% share growth. The entire Cover Girl line also profited from the Outlast growth: with a 10% share growth vs competitors, and even a 20% share growth vs our top competitor.

The 13”x17” mirrored boards were strategically placed throughout our target’s favourite restaurants and bars in Toronto, everywhere our target would be going out. As women entered the washroom, the poster asked “Is Your Lipstick Still On?” (sound-chip activated by motion). Accompanying the boards were decals on the washroom mirrors that reinforced the message.

To increase the reach, a :05 TV spot campaign, asking “Is Your Lipstick Still On?” ran only in prime time during our target’s strongest programmes – in glamour programmes, at times when our target was getting ready for a night out. Our restaurant/bar and short format television campaign was supported with an in-store signage and sampling programme with the same art as our motion-sensitive posters. This additional exposure helped contribute to the overall success of the programme.

Through focus groups, we uncovered the insight that women are constantly asking themselves if their lipstick is still on. Outlast, a lipstick that lasts up to sixteen hours, eliminates that worry. The most relevant time to speak to them: at the “moment of vanity”, when lipstick is being checked and reapplied. The most relevant place: the washroom. Our idea: mirrored, motion-sensitive posters in women’s washrooms in restaurants and bars. A motion-activated sound chip built into the poster asks women the fateful question "Is Your Lipstick Still On?"

1073741837