“Women make up almost half of the audience watching and playing games,” says Lisa Li, Director of Digital Marketing at Benefit Cosmetics, in this week’s media release about the new campaign.
“We are so excited,” she says, “to share these episodes with both the gaming and beauty communities through this work with Gen.G and these women who are leading the industry forward.”
“To us, putting on your 'Game Face' means getting ready to own your day,” emphasizes Li, highlighting the conceptual framework behind the new Benefit Cosmetics campaign.
A new kind of beauty tech partnership
“After serving women for more than 40 years in the beauty business, we at Benefit know how empowering makeup can be when women use it as a tool for expression, creativity, and self love,” Li tells the press.
So, Benefit has teamed up with Gen.G, an esports organization (founded in 2017) that owns teams and connects fans from the US and Asia. The company is considered a thought leader in the sports entertainment space and has a “mission…to help fans and athletes use the power of gaming and esports to get ahead in and beyond the competition,” according to this week’s media release.
Together, Benefit and Gen.G will produce a two-week series of IG and YouTube video conversations “about what it's like to be a woman sharing their lives online, and [teaching] each other more about their daily trials and triumphs.”
A conversation about makeup and gaming
Eleanor Barnes, @Snitchery, is known for her work recreating on-screen cartoon and fictional characters with makeup artistry and will be the host of the new video series. She’ll be speaking with other top women players in gaming, including Kristen Valnicek @KittyPlays, Gina Darling @MissGinaDarling, Nicki Taylor @nickitaylor, and Jayden Diaz @YourPrincess.
Valnicek, who’s also Head of New Gaming initiatives at Gen. G tells the press, “I'm thrilled that Gen.G and Benefit are working together to bring a sense of belonging and community within gaming for women.”
“There are so many amazing women in the gaming community,” says Velnicek, “and I am excited that through partnerships like this, women can take the spotlight and feel confident about their gameplay.”
Explaining the motivation for the Benefit – Gen.G partnership a bit further, Gina Chung, VP of Brand, Activation & Apparel a the esports company says, “We want all players to feel like they belong in the gaming community regardless of gender,” adding that, “Our vision is to create an inclusive environment for all, which is why we prioritize initiatives focused on equality and fairness. Working with Benefit is a great example of how the gaming audience is vastly growing and how esports organizations can step up to create positive communities for female gamers.”
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Beauty tech is big business, and Deanna Utroske has been covering news from this innovative industry sector for years. Hers is a leading voice in the cosmetics and personal care industry as well as in the indie beauty movement. As Editor of CosmeticsDesign.com, she writes daily news about not only tech but all aspects of the business of beauty in the Americas region and regularly produces video interviews with cosmetics, fragrance, personal care, and packaging experts as well as with indie brand founders.
Deanna will be speaking next at the Uplink Live event in LA this month (save 10% on tickets with code: CD10) and at Green Beauty Night in February.
