3 hair care ads that offer a masterclass in brand-building

Fact: haircare is a category that’s making waves across the world, and for good reason. Hair plays a crucial role in shaping our identities and self-expression. It influences first impressions, boosts confidence, and signifies cultural and social belonging.

No wonder, people care about hair care!

In 2023, the global market size of the hair care industry was estimated to be more than $99 billionOpens in new tab. What’s more, it’s expected to surpass $213 billion by 2032.

Tracksuit data shows that in the US, the premium haircare category has 48% penetration, meaning almost 1 in 2 Americans above 18 years-of-age are purchasing or willing to purchase haircare products - or in real human terms, 121 million people. Looking at the female population alone, penetration is slightly higher at 52%.

In this article, we’ll look at three trendsetting hair care ads and the innovative brand-building strategies that marketers can learn from them.

Let’s get started.

Crafting brand success: 3 brilliant hair care ads that caught our attention

The hair care market is ripe with opportunity. But how can brands grab the eyeballs of consumers who could really use their help?

Customers today have access to unprecedented amounts of information at their fingertips. They are inundated with visuals, tutorials, print, social media, and TV ads on different hair care routines, products, hair colors, and so on. To make matters worse for lesser-known brands, the hair care industry is dominated by the bigger players — major consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands who lead in share of voice, not to mention marketing budgets!

In such a landscape, how can smaller brands stand out among the crowd and reach their target audiences? While this may seem daunting, some brands have successfully cracked the code by leveraging unique and innovative hair care advertising. Let’s look at a few examples.

Living Proof

In 2005, an innovative hair care philosophy based on science was developed in Cambridge, Massachusetts, bringing together biotech scientists from MIT and renowned hair stylists.

Led by Dr. Bob Langer, a team of world-class scientists from diverse fields, aimed to tackle beauty challenges. With over 100 global patents and 200 awards, Living Proof's inventive solutions prioritize research and real-world effectiveness.

Living Proof's foundation lies in science, shaping its hair care solutions through research and data analysis. Its commitment to evidence-based practices fosters trust and credibility, emphasizing outcomes. The brand claims that it wants to enable individuals to make informed decisions regarding their hair's well-being.

Recently, Living Proof partnered with the iconic heiress Paris Hilton to promote its products. The "Sliving Proof" ad on YouTubeOpens in new tab featuring Paris Hilton gained a lot of attention for its Y2K throwback — the era of Ms. Hilton’s peak popularity.

Paris Hilton skyrocketed to fame in the mid-2000s for her beautiful blond hair, excessive lifestyle, vapid personality, and love for the color pink. She has made a comeback and revamped her image, and Living Proof was able to partner with her just at the right time.

What’s most memorable is that the brand even used her signature catchphrase, “That’s hot.” For those who grew up watching her reality shows, this ad was an instant nostalgia trip with its pink color palette and Y2K theme.

The focus is still on her hair as she sprays on Living Proof’s Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo based on advice from her future self. The ad is fun, nostalgic, cheeky, and eye-catching.

As for any resulting uplifts in brand awareness? We’re fizzed to be tracking Living Proof in the US to measure their fundamental brand metrics year round. That means keeping a close eye on how this campaign is shifting the dial on their key funnel metrics and brand perceptions.

Function of Beauty

Next on our list is Function of Beauty, a personalized hair care brand that revolutionized the beauty industry by offering custom hair care solutions tailored to individual needs.

Using an innovative online platform, customers can create personalized shampoo and conditioner formulas by selecting their hair type, goals, and preferences.

The brand's emphasis on customization and transparency resonates with consumers seeking personalized beauty experiences. Function of Beauty's commitment to clean ingredients, cruelty-free practices, and eco-friendly packaging further distinguishes it in the market.

With its strategy to empower consumers to create bespoke hair care solutions, Function of Beauty redefines the relationship between brands and consumers in the beauty industry.

The brand made a name for itself by sponsoring YouTubers and creating personalized hair care products for them. After being an online retailer for years, it started selling its products at Target. The ads for this launch fit with its overall message — Beauty, rather hair care, is not a one-size-fits-all formula.

Customers buying from its online store can fill out a questionnaire allowing the company to fully customize products for them. This wasn’t possible with its Target collaboration. So, it created a range of base shampoos and conditioners for different hair types. Customers could buy additional Hair Goals boosters that came in ampoules to add to their base products.

These ampoules are unmistakable in its print ads. Just like that, without using any text, Function of Beauty could convey how customers could personalize their hair products.

The brand even released a short YouTube adOpens in new tab to explain how its range of products for Target could be used by customers. The packaging itself is stunning. The colors pop and the line across the bottles indicates the hair type for which the product is designed.

LolaVie

LolaVie by Jennifer Aniston introduces a line of hair care products infused with the actress's effortless elegance and timeless style. From luxurious shampoos and nourishing conditioners to hair oils and detanglers, each product is meticulously crafted with natural ingredients to enhance hair health and beauty.

Embracing simplicity and authenticity, LolaVie inspires individuals to indulge in holistic hair care rituals that reflect their unique beauty and lifestyle.

Jennifer Aniston is renowned for her role as Rachel Green in the 90’s smash-hit sitcom FRIENDS. Her hairstyle on the show was dubbed “The Rachel” and was one of the most requested hairstyles among women around the world at that time. Naturally, who better than Jennifer Aniston to make hair care products and advertise them?

The brand’s black-and-white ads are simple with a heavy emphasis on Jennifer Aniston’s flowing locks. It goes to show that if you have the perfect brand ambassador, there is no need for flashy advertisements.

The finishing line 🏁

These challenger brands have shown that it isn’t impossible to beat the competition in an industry that’s saturated by huge companies.

We’re proud as punch to work with some of the coolest haircare brands in the world to help them track their brand year round, develop strategy and demonstrate the ROI of their marketing activity. Most importantly, using Tracksuit helps brand builders prove the impact of their work. They go on to drive internal buy-in, win more marketing budget and generally slay in their careers 💅

Could your brand be the one we next work with? Book a call with one of our brand experts.