French beauty chain Sephora has launched a new campaign called The Unlimited Power of Beauty, which signifies a shift in its brand positioning. “The Unlimited Power of Beauty is a new, powerful campaign that is deliberately different from previous years,” explains Olivier Vigneaux, the CEO for BETC Digital. “It is both universal in its casting and intimate in its tone and imagery, allowing viewers to see themselves in the story and discover the potential of their own beauty.”

The three-minute ad, directed by German creative Jonas Lindstroem, tells the story of a woman’s relationship with her reflection throughout her life. Tender and intimate, we follow the lead character from childhood to adulthood and are taken through relatable moments of both doubt and strength.

From experimenting with vivid makeup as a young girl to using it as an adult as a confidence boost after a hard day, the ad aims to highlight how the same person can explore the many facets of beauty in a lifetime, and even in just one day. 

The campaign signifies a more grounded approach to the way we use makeup and beauty products, taking us away from the more theatrical. It acknowledges the ways in which beauty has evolved, going beyond catwalks and magazines, and how it can now be presented to us through friends’ selfies or uploads from influencers.    

It also aligns nicely with Sephora’s 2019 campaign We Belong to Something Beautiful from creative agency Wednesday, which saw the brand release a two-minute call to arms to support inclusivity, and highlight how beauty is just as fluid as gender can be. 

For The Unlimited Power of Beauty, BETC hopes it shows a “more natural, more real, relatable, and aspirational” vision of women. “It has a real message about self-identity and self-building, all without imposing standards to adhere to,” says Florence Bellison, president and creative director of BETC Etoile Rouge. “If the audience takes that away, we will have achieved our goal.”

A series of print ads have also been created to accompany the film. Captured by British photographer Nadine Ijewere, the 12 prints tell the rich story of beauty through diverse portraits that cross age, gender, body type and style.

Sephora is a global brand with more than 2,500 stores in 34 countries and though it might have been a long time coming, it’s refreshing to see a chain as big as this aligning itself more with the current attitudes of society. “The Unlimited Power of Beauty is a signature that delivers a strong, ambitious and all-encompassing view of beauty,” says Rémi Babinet, founder, president and creative director of BETC Group. “It reaffirms the industry’s role, and thus Sephora’s position as a leader, and it creates room for self-expression, showing the variety of authentic and powerful beauties that make up today’s world.”

Credits:
Agency: BETC
ECD: Rémi Babinet
Creative directors: Florence Bellisson
Creatives: Yuki Kani, Peggy Baunay
Production company: Iconoclast
Director: Jonas Lindstroem

sephora.fr; betc.co.uk