The New Era Of Beauty: Why Beauty Rebranding Is Becoming Increasingly Popular

The changing tides of social media bring with them a need to connect to evolving audiences by staying ahead of the curve. We often see brands adapting their marketing strategies according to trends and shifts in consumer behaviour, but little brands take to rebranding in their entirety to suit these factors.

That is until now…

Many beauty brands have been appearing on the radar of those within the marketing and advertising industry for their bold and brash decision to rebrand. We’re talking about brands that have been on the radar of many industry professionals and avid fans for decades – or in Rimmel’s case, over a millennium. Brands such as Rimmel London, Maybelline, and YSL Beauty. 

Beauty rebranding is no easy feat. It requires taking everything your brand has built its success upon and revamping it to suit modern preferences. Transforming the image of a brand can involve changing the name, logo, slogan, or mission. Or if you’re feeling extra courageous, all four elements. 

So why are we seeing an uptick in beauty rebranding as of late? And is it proving successful? Read on to find out!

WHY ARE WE SEEING AN INCREASE IN BEAUTY REBRANDING IN 2024?

Surviving the pits of social media is a challenge in and of itself. Throw a highly-demanding and meticulous audience like Gen Z into the mix, and you’ve got a battle with relevancy on your hands. 

It’s no secret that all corners of the beauty industry have experienced oversaturation in recent years, putting relevancy at the top of brand’s agendas as a measurement of success. Vying for the attention of the modern day consumer now not only requires great products, but also great marketing in order to cut through the noise. Whether in the form of newly-devised strategies, or in this case an entire rebrand, beauty brands are turning traditional methods on their head in order to stand out from the crowd.

But why are beauty giants like Rimmel London and Maybelline disrupting the system so far? 

Simply put, this is the era of the small business. BeautyTok, in particular, thrives on recognising smaller beauty brands and allowing creators to “put people on” to new discoveries. Especially if these new discoveries can save consumers money. Additionally, the recent surge in small beauty brands is, in part, due to the fact that the beauty industry is an attractive option for entrepreneurs who are all after their share of the US$648.60bn that the industry is projected to bring in at the end of the year. 

Beauty behemoths like Rimmel and YSL Beauty are learning that in order to make waves among this new generation of consumers, their identity and ethos must change to suit updated standards of beauty and modern values. Essentially the new TikTok era. We’ve seen brands such as Kiehl’s move with the times and update their practices and standards as and when seismic shifts take place in the industry, but not all brands manage to keep up as successfully and effortlessly. Hence, a surge in rebranding.

@ashleyabaco

@Haus Labs by Lady Gaga’s glow-up: When rebranding goes right 💄✨ #graphicdesign #brandidentity #marketing #makeup #greenscreen

♬ original sound – Ashley Abaco | grphc dsgnr 💻

Let’s deep dive into beauty brands dusting off old marketing assets and reinventing them with an eye toward young consumers.

BEAUTY REBRANDING IN PRACTICE

Maybelline

“Maybe it’s Maybelline” debuted in 1991 and quickly became one of the most recognisable phrases in marketing. Sonic branding agency, Sixième, have dusted off the old jingle and developed the melody to “embody self-confidence, authenticity, and empowerment”. 

Along with direction from creative agency Gotham, the new jingle is featured in a new brand campaign for its Eraser concealer, rolled out in September 2024 and headed by global brand ambassadors, Peggy Gou, Gigi Hadid, Storm Reid, and Shay Mitchell. Tapping into the theme of ‘icons’ to celebrate the product’s nearly 15 years of consistent success, the beauty rebranding campaign speaks to notions of nostalgia, timelessness, and cultural relevance. 

YSL Beauty

On the other hand, beauty rebranding can take on a much bolder form. YSL Beauty took to Instagram to hint at a new era “about to go over the edge” with a video that stirred up excitement for fans of the brand. This refresh came with the complete deletion of all existing content prior to the 19th Feb 2024, as well as a 5-day blackout on its Instagram account. 

The beauty giant launched its brand new, private Threads account shortly after this announcement, for die-hard fans to access inside drops and exclusive access to the world of YSL Beauty. As of today, the account has 1.1M followers and remains private, reassuring that all-important exclusivity for the superfans. 

Speaking on the new direction for the brand, Jordan Radi, Global Director of Consumer Engagement, said that “this move [was] signatory of YSL Beauty entering a new chapter. By refreshing social channels, we not only create excitement, but we enter into the modern world of social media speaking to younger audiences in a captivating way”, also nodding to the brand’s complete refresh as “a whole new level of intimacy and proximity with our audience; and it’s a promise we intend to keep.”

Huda Beauty

Other forms of beauty rebranding take on a much more in-house approach. Huda Kattan, founder of Huda Beauty, stepped down as CEO in 2020, promoting former NYX President, Nathalie Kristo, from Global Deputy CEO to the top role.

Fast forward a year, and Kattan found herself back in the hot seat for her second term as CEO, but, this time, with a refreshed stance on brand identity and progression. During the changeover, Kattan stated, “”I’m finally taking back my power as CEO of Huda Beauty.” And that she has. 

In July of this year, Huda Beauty underwent one of the most profound rebrands in the industry’s history, even going so far as to change up the 11-year-old logo and discontinuing the beloved makeup/skincare-hybrid line, Glowish. These necessary changes are just a testament to Kattan’s newly-revised strategy as a reformed CEO.

Rimmel London

Rimmel has launched its most innovative rebrand in the company’s 190-year history. This has come about in a bid to champion self-discovery and identity while attempting to move away from the stereotypical standards of beauty. Starting with a switch-up of the iconic tagline ‘Live The London Look’ to ‘Live YOUR London Look’, the brand’s repositioning emphasises beauty as a lifestyle and the freedom to be truly you. 

To celebrate the rebrand, Rimmel London announced the Rimmel London Collective, which celebrates extraordinary talent joining the brand for the purpose of extending its relevance, culturally. Its new ‘Live From’ content series will bring the new brand positioning to life across Instagram and TikTok, leveraging eight visionary creators from around the world and promoting their “lived beauty”. In doing this, Rimmel London hopes to highlight beauty that reflects real life, and is lived out on the streets of the world, breathing a whole new life into the meaning of beauty rebranding. 

@rimmellondon

Welcome the NEW Rimmel London Collective ambassador, breakthrough artist @kenyagrace ! We are so excited to have Kenya as part of our Rimmel family ❤️💋✨ #Rimmel #RimmelLondon #LiveYourLondonLook #BeautyLiveFrom #London #KenyaGrace

♬ original sound – rimmellondon

SHOULD EVERYONE TRY THEIR HAND AT BEAUTY REBRANDING?

The surge in beauty brand revamping comes as a direct result of the change in the way people are buying, influencing, and using social media. Sure, beauty rebranding is great for improving the connection between your brand and your audience, however it seems to have become the latest punching bag for marketing purists and a cash cow for the opportunistic. Before diving in, it’s important to note what truly entails a rebrand, as the word in itself means many different things to many different people. 

So should we shift towards using a different word?

In short, no. 

To some, beauty rebranding involves a minor tweak of the logo or a colour change, whereas, to others, it encompasses the whole shebang. Technically speaking, both variations are correct. In this case, rather than rewording, it’s more important to view the word as a representation of as wide a spectrum as what ‘brand’ encompasses. However, just because the word rebrand describes a spectrum, doesn’t mean a simple surface job will suffice.

Oftentimes, a brand’s attempt to improve connection actually costs them a lot of time and money. Essentially, if the only reason you’re rebranding is for a few minor tweaks, and not to go deeper than that, then you may as well burn your money. Or worse, give it to your competitors for their actual rebrand. 

However, this also isn’t us saying to always take it all the way, either. Going too far runs the risk of dissociating your brand from the memories built up or moving to a place where members of your target audience are few and far between. Essentially, beauty rebranding is all about increasing your connection and alignment with your business strategy, whether that entails changing up your logo or your whole identity. Whatever you do, make your audience want to connect more.

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs.

@sociallypowerful