Client: Boots Ireland

Agency: Mediacom Ireland

Project: Glow Up Ireland & Boots Ireland Integrated Content Partnership

Sector: Retail (Beauty / Cosmetics)

Time Period: September - October 2022

Media: Linear, TV, Online, Social Media

What was the main aim of this campaign?

RTÉ delivered a unique partnership for Boots and Mediacom with bespoke native and digital activation built on the platform of TV beauty show Glow Up Ireland. The objective was single minded; To create an integrated content partnership that would make Boots a “destination” for beauty brands!

In response to a continued erosion of their premium beauty share, Boots Ireland were at risk of being more known for potions and plasters. To increase penetration Boots needed to persuade a new generation of “beauty believers” they were a credible destination for all their beauty needs. In a category reliant on traditional media, a 'TV only' approach was not going to do the job. In line with Boots’ always on “digi-till” content strategy, RTÉ delivered a unique partnership with bespoke native and digital activation built on the platform of TV beauty show Glow Up Ireland.

The objective was to create an integrated content partnership that would make Boots a “destination” for beauty brands. In response to the brief from Mediacom, RTÉ were tasked with designing a branded content partnership that would help build consideration amongst a key Boots segment known as ‘Beauty Believers’.

What was the chosen solution and why?

The foundation of the partnership solution was sponsorship of the first ever series of Glow Up Ireland.

Glow Up Ireland is a competitive entertainment series where ten of Ireland’s best amateur make-up artists are challenged in a range of assignments where they show off their technical know-how, skill, artistry and imagination. They are each tasked with creating amazing make-up transformations – all taking place in a dedicated studio space – Glow Up HQ. One of the ten are crowned Ireland’s Next Make-Up Star and win a fantastic opportunity to further their professional career. This included sponsor stings and in- show product placement. The sponsorship (and products featured in the product placement) was also supported with wider Boots campaign amplification across DOOH, Social, HPTOs, Search and Programmatic.

In order to bring the partnership to life in a very tangible ‘show-and-tell’ way, RTÉ devised an exclusive native video series, offering practical advice on ‘getting the look’ that was featured in each episode of Glow-Up Ireland delivered by make-up artist Aideen Kate.

Aideen has 159,000 followers on Instagram, so she brought a unique inheritance to the content. Each native piece mirrored the linear broadcast, with a corresponding native episode being published the morning after linear broadcast.

In total there were eight native executions, with eight bespoke video episodes embedded in each. To make the native work even harder, we introduced a ‘click-and-buy’ element whereby all of the products used in the native content and video could be purchased instantly via the Boots Ireland ‘Glow-Up’ e-commerce hub.