For this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), major sponsor L’Oreal has planned a host of initiatives ranging from a special edition nail polish collection and national ad campaign to on-site experiential activations and a cocktail party hosted by actress Freida Pinto.
Due in stores in September, the L’Oreal Paris Privee by Colour Riche is inspired by four actress: Doutzen Kroes, Jennifer Lopez, Eva Longoria and Freida Pinto. Double-page spreads featuring the actresses – all L’Oreal spokeswomen – will be featured in both the French and English editions of several Canadian fashion magazines, including Flare, Fashion, Hello!, Elle Canada and Elle Quebec.
The campaign, with creative by Marketel, also includes billboards and transit ads around the Greater Toronto Area and a social media buy on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The media buy for the campaign was handled by Zenith Optimedia.
On Sept. 9 the brand will host a meet-and-greet cocktail party with Freida Pinto at the Trump Hotel, just one of many on-site activations set to take place during TIFF. Between Sept. 4 and 14, L’Oreal’s two-floor Beauty Lounge (built by Cinco) will be providing beauty services to both consumers and festival VIPs. On the first floor, consumers can have their nails painted with the TIFF collection or use one of L’Oreal’s lipsticks at the Lip Bar. Each consumer that receives a treatment will also go home with free product.
The lounge’s second floor will cater to VIPs and beauty media, who can receive complimentary styling ahead of premieres and events. Throughout the festival, the brand’s PR agency, Cowan & Company, will be hosting media at the lounge. On Twitter, the brand will be selecting one follower to receive this VIP treatment each day of the festival and a chance to watch a premiere at the brand’s private box at the Roy Thompson Hall.
The brand’s digital agency, Nurun, will also send a community manager to act as a red carpet corespondent and cover many of the festival’s celebrity driven events.
L’Oreal began its sponsorship of TIFF in 2011 and has been steadily building on its investment since. Hugo Thibault, brand communications director for L’Oréal Paris Canada, said the festival is one of many red carpet events the brand sponsors globally. In other markets, L’Oreal does brand activations at the Cannes Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival and the Grammy’s.
Thibault said the cohort of 35-year-old-plus, high education, high income consumers that attend TIFF aligns with the brand’s demo, adding that the consumers who line up to catch a glimpse of celebrities at red carpets are often the same women interested in its beauty products.
“The value to L’Oreal is the whole beauty routine surrounding the red carpet,” he said. “Everybody is looking to see their favourite stars and discover what they will be wearing, but also how their hair and makeup will look.”
Read more of our ongoing coverage of Toronto International Film Festival sponsorships and activations at MarketingMag.ca’s TIFF Sponsor Spotlight
