During Ariana Grande’s landmark Eternal Sunshine Tour, which ended on September 1, the singer wasn’t the only one center stage.
Her beauty brand, R.E.M. Beauty, received a number of highlights during the tour. The brand held in-person activations in 10 cities across her two-month tour. Not only that, but during the show, Grande had her makeup redone twice with R.E.M. products. First, she applied a touch of the Essential Drip Glossy Balm ahead of the song “7 Rings” and then had a full vanity on stage where she applied several other R.E.M. products ahead of the song “Into You.”
Now that the tour is over, Ulta Beauty said that the brand’s exposure during the tour had a meaningful impact on sales. With 15,000 guests at the pop-ups, 450 brand influencers creating over 3,000 pieces of related content, Ulta told Glossy that the tour drove higher foot traffic and multiple sell-outs of products like the Plumping Lip Gloss and the brand’s hero lip product Essential Drip Glossy Balm.
“It’s been so special to see so many new faces connecting with R.E.M. beauty since The Eternal Sunshine tour has begun,” Grande said. “To see the looks our fans create in the audience each night, being able to spot [R.E.M. product shades like] Fembot and Miss Mercury in the crowd and connect in this way not only through the music, but with makeup, has been so much fun. And to feel this new level of enthusiastic embrace from the beautiful makeup community is overwhelming and fulfilling, to say the least. I’m so excited for all that’s ahead of us as a brand and so grateful to continue growing with our incredible family at Ulta Beauty.”
For Ulta, the tour was an opportunity to test out some new features. The R.E.M. pop-up along the tour was also the debut of a new mobile-based point-of-sale system, soon to be used in Ulta stores.
Kaitlin Rinehart, vp of merchandising for Ulta Beauty, told Glossy that the seamless integration of the brand into the concert experience was a novel way for a brand to connect with its audience.
“We’ve seen firsthand how powerful it can be when a brand and its founder create a cultural moment that brings guests into the experience,” Rinehart said. “It’s a great example of how R.E.M. beauty continues to build community and inspire discovery in ways that resonate with today’s beauty guest.”
The tour was also a powerful social opportunity for R.E.M. Grande posted regularly to her millions of social followers with behind-the-scenes footage that regularly featured R.E.M. products. Those videos drove over 260 million views for the brand across the duration of the tour.
“We are fortunate that Ariana is a highly hands-on founder, which people saw in things like the daily social content from the tour and the makeup touch-ups on-stage, but behind-the-scenes she’s testing formulas, giving feedback on strategy, and working with our team on future product ideas all in the middle of a 41-show tour,” said Bryan Mochizuki, svp of global brand marketing for R.E.M.
Mochizuki said Grande’s direct involvement with the brand brings a level of authenticity to its social strategy that they can’t get from an outside brand ambassador.
In addition to Grande’s involvement, R.E.M.’s social team was also on the lookout for unexpected trends to tie into the tour. For one example, a video of Grande engaging in “fidget trading” got more than two million views on TikTok.
“Beauty today is so creative and dynamic, and the marketing playbook for beauty brands is constantly evolving,” Mochizuki said. “The biggest challenge is staying a few steps ahead. How will what you plan today be relevant in eight or 10 months? Where do you leave space for trends or pivots? How can your strategies not just cut through the noise, but create a lasting impact? For us, it comes back to authenticity. We’re rooted in ‘everyday artistry’ and self-expression. So, for example, we will always look for where to put a special twist on our content so it’s artistry-forward and won’t feel like other brands.”
Week in Review
- NFL cornerback for the Detroit Lions Khalil Dorsey is launching a streetwear brand this week called Trauma. The brand is based in Los Angeles and will be inspired by Dorsey’s tunnel fits
- Rowan Blanchard, Jemima Kirke and Jeremy O. Harris are all starring in Marc Jacobs’ latest microdrama, titled The Swap. Marc Jacobs joins other fashion brands like Nuuly in launching microdramas as the format grows in popularity.
- Lululemon and The Sculpt Society are hosting a three-day fitness experience in New York for New York Fashion Week. The classes are hosted by Sculpt Society founder Megan Roup.
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