Glossier x Olivia Rodrigo

Back in April 2022, the beauty brand Glossier, which was widely successful among millennial women for its minimalistic approach to makeup, announced its partnership with Olivia Rodrigo. For those who are unfamiliar, Rodrigo got her start on Disney Channel, starring in shows such as Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. She quickly rose to fame in early 2021 following the release of her hit song “Drivers License” which spent 8 consecutive weeks in #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and made Rodrigo the youngest artist to ever debut atop the charts. However, Rodrigo was not just a one-hit-wonder. Her next singles, Good 4 U and Deja Vu both continued to smash the records, and a big contributing factor to this was TikTok. Good 4 U and Deja Vu circulated TikTok for quite a while as trends and trending sounds. Following these releases, Rodrigo put out SOUR, her debut album which topped the Billboard 200 for 5 consecutive weeks. This cemented Rodrigo’s place as the new Disney “IT” girl. Through Instagram posts, walking the carpet at the MET gala, the GRAMMYs and paparazzi pictures, Rodrigo has also established a unique sense of style. With a mix of Y2K and 90s trends, Rodrigo’s style resonates deeply with Gen-Z, especially with some of her early 00’s rock influences.

Photo: Courtesy of Glossier / Stevie Dance

So why did Glossier choose Olivia? Since its launch in 2014, Glossier has never had a celebrity partnership. However, with sales declining due to higher competition (Saie, Milk, Rare Beauty), it seems as though Glossier has begun to explore new target demographics. At its peak, Glossier was targeted at millennial women who were trying to achieve the “that girl” look (soft dewy skin, minimal makeup, natural glow). Although the same trend is still circulating through TikTok, consumers now have more options and Glossier’s demographic has grown up and look to purchase more sophisticated brands while they have failed to tap into the new rising demographics of Gen-Z. Not to mention, some of Glossier’s products such as the cloud paint, can last ages, so many just don't feel the need to purchase their products often. Their choice of Rodrigo isn’t solely because of her rising fame and popularity, but also her connection with their old demographics and new ones. Multiple songs on Rodrigo’s album SOUR have early 00’s rock influences, creating nostalgia for millennial audiences and her message, anger and style resonate with Gen-Z. Making Rodrigo the face of Glossier would bring in new customers and bring back old ones who needed a piece of the 2000s nostalgia.

why it failed

On paper, this partnership looked great. A big brand collaborating with a big artist, a mutually beneficial exchange. However, its actual launch was a disappointment. There seemed to have been very minimal effort put into the campaign as Rodrigo simply debuted a new photoshoot and curated her favourite products. No special packaging, and no mention of her album SOUR which has a very fun distinct colour and style palette that could’ve easily lended itself to an exclusive line. It didn’t feel like a true partnership as Rodrigo never created or weighed in on product development, it was more of a celebrity endorsement which backfired as Rodrigo began to find her Y2K style which included colourful pops of eyeliner and eyeshadow—the complete opposite direction of Glossier’s natural, minimalist, makeup approach.

What they could have done

Worked with Glossier’s merch team to come up with Glossier x SOUR merch
1. Purple and pink themes would have made an awesome hoodie
2. Y2K theme:
  1. Pink and purple bucket hats
  2. Cowboy hats (with the fluffy rim for all the concert goers)
  3. Bandanas like the one Rodrigo wore for the Deja Vu TikTok trend
  4. Tie-die pink and purple tote bag (or just a simple “Glossier x Olivia” tote)
Created an exclusive Olivia Rodrigo SOUR inspired line of products
1. SOUR stickers as pimple patches (everyone has some kind of acne!)
2. Coloured eyeliner for everyone’s Y2K inspired looks
3. Put Olivia Rodrigo’s Curated products into a SOUR prom or Deja Vu (malibu summer) themed packaging/box
4. Olivia’s very own waterproof mascara (using this picture for her ads and slogan being “for SOUR streaming sessions when you inevitably start crying”)