Beauty marketing has transformed over the years. In the 1950s, a Hollywood star might have been the face of a beauty brand, flaunting and pouting red lips and long lashes, and explaining the virtues of using that product through a paragraph of printed text.
However, the charm of the print and TV ads of the past has given way to the engaging, dynamic world of social media.
Social media marketing has many facets to it:
- Influencers.
- Tags.
- Likes and shares.
- Followers.
- Subscribers.
It has essentially changed the way beauty brands engage with customers.
At the same time, the international beauty market has become increasingly competitive. In 2018, the global cosmetics market was valued at $ 507.8 billion. Today (2025), its value sits at around $758.4 billion. For this reason, the pressure is on beauty brands to captivate audiences before competitors have the opportunity to.
There are certain brands which have used social media with phenomenal success, to produce viral campaigns. The aim of a viral campaign is to encourage and move audiences to share the marketing message with family, friends and others. The brand’s message then literally spreads like fire across social media platforms.
Here are some examples of beauty brands which have used social media to leave a lasting impact and to drive sales and captivate audiences:
Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign
This successful campaign began a self-love revolution online by challenging unrealistic, airbrushed beauty ideals. It used influencers like positive body image activists Jari Jones and Michelle Elmen to share about ‘real beauty’.
Some of Jari’s posts on Instagram succeeded in generating 1.9K engagements! The campaign also had some viral hits. An example would be the YouTube video Reverse Selfie, which garnered over 3-million views. This viral video gave a behind-the-scenes view of what really happens behind the airbrushed world of selfies.
Glossier’s Boy Brow campaign
This creative campaign went viral through its clever use of influencers. Influencers with followers of around 1 000 to 100 000 were asked to share before and after photos of themselves, showing how they used Boy Brow as part of their everyday routines. Customers were also encouraged to share their own before and after shots using the hashtag, #BoyBrow.
The success of this campaign produced measurable results, and caused a 20 percent increase in sales of the product!
e.l.f Cosmetics’ ‘Eyes Lip Face’ campaign
This brand left it in the hands of the audience to come up with their own creative ideas.
Using TikTok, e.l.f product users were invited to show themselves using e.l.f. products. They were encouraged to be as creative as possible, and then share their video content using the #eyeslipsface hashtag. Each e.l.f product user was given their moment in the spotlight.
The campaign created a viral frenzy, which saw content connected with the #eyeslipsface hashtag generate over 7 billion views.
Rimmel’s mission-focused campaigns
Cosmetics company Rimmel has done things a little differently to most. It has given social causes center stage in its marketing strategies.
An example would be its #IWillNotBeDeleted campaign which focused on the social problem of cyberbullying. Brand ambassadors, Cara Delvaigne and Rita Ora, among others, shared their experiences of cyberbullying on social media platforms.
Through giving each campaign a sense of mission, Rimmel has been successful in pulling audiences, many with real concerns related to societal issues, into its campaigns.
Birchbox’s value-added content posts
Birchbox, a subscription-based supplier of beauty and cosmetic products, has kept its focus on content creation, even as part of its online campaign. This means that its potential clients are given value-added content along with promotional material.
The company has tailored its approach to social media marketing to fit with its business model. Being a subscription company, it focuses on educating its target audience to better understand the products which it offers through subscription.
This means tutorials and advice are given, in addition to product information. Experts are pulled in to give their take on different audience-related topics and engaging content is drafted.
The making of a viral campaign
It seems the successful campaigns all have this in common:
- They understand the unique qualities and audiences of the platforms they use.
- They work with influencers who are skilled at connecting with their target audiences.
- Their content is engaging and encourages feedback and participation.
- They are consistent with their communication.
Digital Aesthetics is committed to helping beauty and health companies to elevate beauty marketing to the next level using social media. The marketing and PR company is committed to helping beauty brands create measurable results in sales and audience engagement.
