L’Oréal is offering a cash prize of €100,000 ($116,000) and the title of 2015 L'Oreal Paris Makeup Designer to the final candidate.
Global pageantry
For The Brush Contest, the international beauty brand is soliciting contestants from 13 countries, among them, the US, Canada, France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Australia, China, and Thailand.
“There is a robust online community of people who consider makeup artistry a true passion,” says Malena Higuera, senior vice president of marketing for L'Oreal Paris. “Digital technology now allows us to discover the undiscovered.”
“The Brush Contest will give them a stage to showcase their talents and potentially become the Makeup Designer for the world's largest beauty brand and collaborate with us to design new makeup trends, and inspire and empower other women around the world through makeup artistry,” Higuera asserts in the company’s media statement announcing the search.
Media partners
Via YouTube, entrants upload 3-minute make-up tutorial videos. Such videos are a massive trend in cosmetics marketing and a proven tool for social media engagement. “We are seeing more brands using social media channels such as blogs, YouTube and Instagram,” Sarah Hynes, lead researcher at L2 Inc. told Cosmetics Design last month. “Beauty vloggers have such a great reach as they are authentic and attract a loyal following.”
The company is apparently teaming up with various media partners to facilitate the contest. The Canadian communications company Bell Media, for instance, has announced that its ETALK program will broadcast the competition in that country: "This new partnership provides ETALK viewers with both a front row seat and behind-the-scenes access to L'Oreal's quest to find a new make-up designer, via engaging custom in-show content that resonates with L'Oreal's target consumers," said Laird White, director of brand partnerships at Bell in that company’s statement to the press.
And the winner is
YouTube will air the event finale too. “On May 1st 2015, [an] evening – hosted by L'Oreal Paris spokesperson Eva Longoria – will celebrate the national finalists, herald the L'Oreal Paris Makeup Designer Paris vision…and announce the global winner,” explains the L’Oréal statement.
The chosen artist of the year will serve as a sort of brand ambassador to the people and (beyond the cash prize) “be awarded participation in incredible celebrity beauty shoots, how-to video tutorial creation, press interviews, the exclusive Cannes International Film Festival, and much more,”
Women in science fellowship
L’Oréal runs other competitions that build brand loyalty and reinforces the company’s vision. Women in science fellowships are one such program: “In the US, the For Women in Science fellowships program specifically recognizes women post-doctoral scientists for their contributions in STEM fields and for their commitment to serving as role models for younger generations,” states the company’s site.
Since 2003 the L’Oréal foundation in the US has granted 55 post-doctoral scientists over $2m. That works out to around $36,364.00 per scientist.