Why Estée Lauder is leaning into football

Estée Lauder has been working to make a mark in sports — specifically in football and basketball — and is approaching its corresponding marketing plan seasonally. In the spring, it tied marketing to the WNBA, and then, in the fall and winter, it activated around the NFL. Past partnerships have included a 2023 “Game Day Your Way” spot featuring WAG Kelly Stafford and broadcaster Cari Champion during football season. And, in the spring of this year, it partnered with WNBA star Cameron Brink of the Los Angeles Sparks.

“We came to this [sports marketing strategy] before it really hit the zeitgeist of the pop culture conversation last year, especially around football, with what you could call the Taylor [Swift] effect,” Johns said. She noted that the brand had been inspired by statistics including the fact that, in 2021, there were 84 million female NFL fans in the U.S., according to USA Today. What’s more, 56% of women and girls over the age of eight in the U.S. are fans of the NFL, making it the No. 1 league among this demographic.

For the new 30-second spot, the brand tapped Emmy award-winning actress, singer and television host Keke Palmer (14 million Instagram followers), age 31; sportscaster and TV personality Kay Adams (501,000 Instagram followers), 38; and collegiate content creator Katie Feeney (7.6 million TikTok followers), 22. In the spot, the three women are seen getting ready for game day. As a makeup artist applies Double Wear foundation, Palmer says, “The beauty of performance begins well before kickoff.” The message, overall, is that women have a place in football, have been a part of the sport for a long time and, like the Double Wear Foundation, are here to stay.

The campaign is intended to speak to everyone from casual fans like Palmer to loyal fans like Adams, for whom the game is a profession. “We know the conversation around female sports fandom is ongoing. It’s also relevant to consumers of all ages, be it the casual fan or the heavyweight sports industry female leader, whether they’re a sports commentator or an owner and operator,” Johns said.

In addition to streaming advertising, Estée Lauder wanted the campaign to show up IRL. “We wanted to focus our efforts on the right partner for a [college] homecoming game,” Johns said. She noted that, on social media, “Game Day Ready looks” have become a trend, but “there was a white space around homecoming and creating looks and getting ready” for that particular occasion. To recruit new, younger and diverse consumers, the brand looked specifically at HBCUs with big homecomings.

From November 1-2, Estée Lauder popped up at Florida A&M University, which is the largest HBCU with nearly 10,000 students. At the pop-up, guests could shade-match to find their correct shade of Double Wear, as well as receive a 10-day supply of the foundation, which retails for $52. According to Circana data, Double Wear is the No. 1 foundation in the U.S. and comes in 57 shades.

Guests also received deluxe samples of the brand’s Advanced Night Repair Serum, its new Revitalizing Supreme Night Bounce Moisturizer and its Beautiful Magnolia Fragrance, among other products. The pop-up also featured games, with prizes, and a performance by the school’s cheerleading team.

Last year, Estée Lauder hosted a marketing activation at the University of Georgia’s game against rival school Ole Miss. Over 100,000 fans were in the stadium. “[Both activations were similar in that] we wanted to have a high impact moment at a school and say, ‘We’re here.’ We’re serious about showing up and meeting fans where they are,” Johns said.

This month’s activation was successful. The brand interfaced with thousands of potential customers and distributed a bounce-back offer, through which customers could receive a discount when purchasing a full-sized bottle of Double Wear. At the same time, Estée Lauder could add them to its email list, thereby continuing the relationship. After the event, Johns said, the brand planned to send targeted emails to guests of the pop-up.

Speaking to the results of the campaign, a rep for the brand said, “The ‘Game Day Your Way’ campaign contributed to overall share gains for Estée Lauder in the foundation sub-category of U.S. prestige makeup in both Q4 and FY24.” According to Tribe Dynamics data, the brand’s earned media value for its cosmetics category increased 27% in 2024 compared to last year, and its overall EMV over the last year increased 34%. Fifty-two percent of its EMV was driven by the cosmetics category.

Further building on its sport strategy, Estée Lauder will seed a football-shaped mailer to 200 creators this month to generate organic content. And, in the coming months, it will partner with mega-influencers like Golloria (3 million TikTok followers) and WAG and designer Kristin Juszczyk (1.1 million Instagram followers) to further promote the campaign.