Armani Beauty wants to evolve for a new generation without diluting the classics. This means staying true to longtime ambassadors like Cate Blanchett, while signing younger talent rooted in pop culture to increase engagement on social media and other digital channels.

Today, Armani Beauty introduces Gen A, a young celebrity group who will represent the brand on the global stage.

Among them are actors Camila Mendes, Maude Apatow, Lili Reinhart, Isabella Merced, Chase Stokes, Jonathan Daviess, Lucas Gage and Michael Evans Beling. All but one are in their 20s and appear on popular TV shows like Euphoria and Riverdale.

Most importantly, they’re genuine fans of Armani Beauty — a primary requirement when selecting ambassadors, says the brand’s global president Veronique Gautier. It’s important that they’re not just pushing products, but feel excited and want to be part of the community, she explains.

Unlike past ambassadors, they won’t appear much across traditional touchpoints such as billboards and magazines, but will feature in digital campaigns across e-commerce and social platforms including TikTok and Instagram, fronting a monthly cadence of online content.

They’ll also represent the Italian brand at global events, such as the Venice Film Festival, where Armani is a main beauty sponsor, and at some physical activations including the brand’s fashion shows throughout 2023.

This has become an investment-heavy part of Armani Beauty’s strategy: the brand’s spend on influencer and advocacy marketing is understood to have quadrupled in 2022 compared to 2019, while its media buy doubled over the same period.

Armani launched its beauty business with licensee L’Oréal in 1988. It generated revenues of over €1 billion in 2017, making it one of the industry’s biggest licences (the brand declined to provide an updated figure). The brand competes with longtime players Chanel, Dior and YSL and newer entrants such as Gucci, Valentino and Hermès.

A similar approach has been adopted by YSL Beauty, which this month tapped 20-year-old Lila Moss, daughter of supermodel Kate Moss, as its newest brand ambassador, and Lancôme, also owned by L’Oréal, which named 21-year-old YouTuber Emma Chamberlain as its new ambassador in January.

Armani’s mindful luxury:

Post-lockdown and during a cost-of-living crisis, consumers are decluttering their lives and investing in essentials, Gautier believes.

While some beauty brands are shortening their innovation cycles and bringing products to market faster than ever before, Armani is taking its time, she said. “Everything we do must have meaning,” she says.

Simplifying the Armani product line in recent years has paid off, says Mario Ortelli, managing director of Ortelli & Co., a consulting firm. “Mr. Armani’s magic is that his products That is very well known.

He has a touch of magic,” says Ortelli. “There are brands that are probably developing much faster. Mr. Armani is adamant that his views on fashion don’t change so quickly with trends. That’s it.”

Armani Beauty is one of the few beauty brands that hasn’t tried to use user-generated content (user-generated content). It’s a popular tactic brands use to appear authentic and close to their community.

Unlike Chanel Beauty’s Instagram account @welovecoco, for example, which fans use to highlight their looks and skills, there’s also no dedicated community account.

But in the summer of 2022, the brand launched the #ArmaniBeauties hashtag to encourage consumers to use it. This hashtag has already amassed 58.5 million views on TikTok.

Celebrity Interactions:

Armani Beauty’s social feed includes model Barbara Palvin, actress Sidney Sweeney, and Hannie from South Korean girl group NewJeans, who were recently named brand ambassadors for Gucci and Armani Beauty.

Cate Blanchett continues to be a house favorite representing Armani in major global campaigns.

brands are now recognizing the need to expand their networks and work with a variety of stars, especially those connected to online communities, admits Gauthier.

“Younger consumers want to engage with them in ways other than traditional media. Generation A definitely solves this problem.” They have an engaged audience that feels close and connected to them, she explains.

Teen drama star Chase Stokes, for example, willingly shares a selfie with his dog with his 7 million Instagram followers (Cate Blanchett, by contrast, is not active on the platform).

Many beauty brands have been leaning towards key opinion leaders, such as cosmetic chemists and makeup artists, to help communicate the efficacy or artistry of products.

However, Armani’s strategy to leverage celebrities “inherently fits” with the brand, as “luxury beauty is more about the experience than the science”, says David Schneidman, director of Alvarez & Marsal Consumer Retail Group, which specialises in business transformation.

A brand like Armani Beauty should think carefully about which categories its ambassadors promote, he adds. “Foundation has a really high loyalty and mascara has reasonably good loyalty, whereas lipstick has no loyalty.

Gen A The cast’s style matches Armani’s and is key to ensuring synergy between the different departments of the Italian house, says Gaultier.

As other luxury brands have learned the hard way, connecting influencers representing luxury home fashion brands with influencers representing beauty brands isn’t always easy. Ortelli says it’s difficult to deliver “a permanent brand image through fashion and beauty lines.”

Gauthier believes that Armani Beauty’s new marketing gimmick will create accessible sensibility that will appeal to everyday consumers. The team measures consumer sentiment toward brand positivity and modernity, she said.

“Armani is elegant and timeless. This is the atmosphere surrounding his clothes. He is consistent but free at the same time. He’s not boring at all. The key is to preserve the authenticity of our advertising.”

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