Our challenge was to help Olay, a 67 year old skincare brand, talk to the next generation of women in a whole new way. In short, we were tasked with making Olay relevant to millennial women.

We created “Face Anything” to challenge the traditional expectations women face, defying the path laid out for them, and encouraging them to unapologetically make their lives their own.

9 out of 10 women have been told they are “TOO” something. Too loud. Too emotional. Too strong. Too ambitious. And this was too much for us to ignore.

This campaign created a new paradigm in beauty, led by the bravery of Olay, the #1 skincare brand in the world. We didn’t hero women for their beauty, we heroed women for who they were. What they lived through, what they accomplished and where they are today.

We showcased our Fearless Nine women, and showed their personal stories and how they overcame their own “too” challenges to Face Anything.

-Aly Raisman

-Mama Cax

-Jillian Mercado

-Angela Dimayuga

-Lilly Singh

-Elyse Fox

-Kay Adams

-Piera Gelardi

-Denise Bidot

They represented the full spectrum of strength, vulnerability, and womanhood, each with a unique story that deserved to be heard. They weren’t chosen for how they looked, only how they lived and who they are.

We used conversational mapping, internal workshops, and data analysis to identify an emerging attitude among millennial women: those who were unapologetically making their lives their own. However, there was a certain duality in these women’s everyday lives, characterized by double standards (me vs society) and emotional confusion.

It was through this process that we uncovered the insight that 9 out of 10 women have been told they are “too” something, which became the key tension in our campaign. Our creative strategy was to strike the word “too” and flip the conversation from “I am too outspoken” to “I am outspoken...emotional, strong,” and remind all women they never “too” anything.

In addition, we know Millennials in the US are now 44% minority and the most diverse adult generation in American history and we wanted to ensure that the campaign represented that.

Face Anything launched with a short-form online video series featuring unscripted interviews timed to the launch of a 10-page insertion in September Vogue in August. We took over NYC, with OOH displays in Times Square and Grand Central, and a roaming digital bus leading up to NYFW. We made our Fearless Nine skyscraper big on billboards with the message that Olay supports these women and their accomplishments, their courage and their drive to face anything.

Our Fearless 9 shared their stories of ignoring and triumphing over their “too” labels across social media, joining a sisterhood of 50 other influential women to encourage all women to flip the conversation.

The campaign concluded with the first ever make-up free runway show at NYFW that celebrated the Fearless Nine and other influencers for who they are. We launched our hero film, created by our women-led cast and crew on YouTube and Instagram.

Face Anything broke conventions of beauty advertising by amplifying the stories of barrier-breaking women. We stopped talking at women and became a platform for women.

OLAY Face Anything was the first campaign of its kind to believe in the power of women to #FACEANYTHING. It was also the first beauty campaign that highlighted women with disabilities and made them the face of a multi-channel campaign. We inspired a new generation of young women to believe in themselves and we Olay believe in you.

In 3 months, Face Anything increased millennial household penetration by 8%. The highest in four years.

Campaign Results

11% sales increase in October 2018

32.3MM video views

#5 Most Watched YouTube ad in September

Social Results

+845M social engagements

+8% engagement rate

+500,000 women shared their “too” story

Media and PR Results

475M Impressions from YouTube Masthead

94% Viewability

1.5 billion press impressions