Fenty Skin: Skincare for All 
By: Jade Spadoni

If you’ve been following Rihanna’s rise to the top of the beauty industry as she takes her throne as rightful Queen, then you know this last summer she announced Fenty Skin – her gender-neutral skincare line. When she announced her latest endeavor she made note that this line was for her “fella’s too” and since then, men have been snapping up products since it’s launch. 

It’s no surprise either. We can all agree that 2020 quickly became the year of self-care. Starting with the pandemic in March and the political rollercoaster we’ve been on these last few months, we have all learned to show our mind and bodies a little more TLC. And while “self-care” has been mostly taken on the female form over the years, 2020 has brought us a new meaning of self-care and Rhianna (and Fenty Skin) has helped close the gap by making her skin care line gender neutral. 

The sales don’t lie either, skincare and beauty is no longer reserved for men in showbiz or drag, and is part of a growing market that’s projected to reach $166 billion by 2022 according to Allied Market Research. Additionally, a study by Grand View Research found that men are looking for more sustainable offerings and natural ingredients – which we love to hear! 

Men also crave simplicity without the routine (ain’t that the truth!), which is something Fenty Skin offers. “The average man wants something simple and concise — not a routine where he needs to use 20 different products to get that result,” Fenty Skin Global Ambassador and New York-based esthetician Sean Garrette shared with Rolling Stone, “I think that’s why men gravitate towards Fenty Skin; it’s a simple routine; it’s really six steps in three products.” 

I don’t know about you, but I am predicting 2021 will be the year of the best skin we’ve had since we were babies. Thanks RiRi!

Custom Oreos Are Here 
By: Emily Menken

The only thing that goes better together with milk than Oreos? A custom Oreo. 

Today, Oreo launched OREOiD, a new customizer program that allows cookie monsters to personalize creme colors, chocolate dips, sprinkles, prints, and packs. Customizers like this can drive renewed brand love and sales: note the NikeID model, one of the first of these programs. The cool-factor of sliding on custom shoes made a more premium price tag easy to swallow, allowing Nike to increase their direct to consumer marketing.

Oreo’s new “cookie experience” also hits on cult-like obsessions with limited flavors. For example, the Game of Thrones Oreo sold out immediately upon touchdown at Target. Limited edition flavors like Peppermint Bark, Gingerbread, Wasabi, and Hot Chicken Wing are compiled into Oreo “power ranking” lists. 

OREOiD’s launch also coincides with worldwide coronavirus cases and the holiday season. Family reunions might not be CDC-permitted, but custom cookies say “I love you, Mom and Dad” just as much as a red eye flight during flu season does.

Twitter Announces the Arrival of Carousel Ads 
By: Natalie Chancy 

We’ll keep this one short and sweet, just like a tweet. Twitter announced the arrival of carousel ads to the platform yesterday morning. 

Why does this matter? Not only does this new addition allow more opportunity for creative executions, studies from Facebook/Instagram show that Carousel ads can drive 10x more business and a 72% higher click-through rate than single-images. 

Learn more here.  

(-199 characters remaining)

“Marketing around Covid-19 is a double-edged sword. Done right, it can improve brand loyalty and purchase intent. However, if it’s seen as perfunctory or disingenuous (and over half of it is), it can actually harm the brand.” - Brian Dunbar, head of U.S. at Real Talk Insights.