Ouai launches cinematic web series as long-form content trends

P&G-owned Ouai hair care is betting on long-form, cinematic content with the launch of a three-part slasher-comedy web series called Chopped. The series, starring esteemed actress Victoria Pedretti, star of “The Haunting of Hill House” and Netflix’s “You,” was shot in Ouai’s Los Angeles offices by director Fidel Ruiz-Healy.

This project is no quickie Halloween social campaign. The team worked on the project for nearly a year and, in many ways, treated it with the same reverence as a Hollywood film. From the acting to the score, the content looks and feels more like a blockbuster trailer than a hair-care campaign, which was a purposeful choice.

“We took this very seriously,” Amanda Martinez, vp of brand marketing at Ouai, told Glossy. “With the rise of AI, people are craving really creative, really authentic content, and they’re willing to engage, whether that’s with lo-fi or hi-fi [content], but they just don’t want things they can’t trust.”

In a lot of ways, a return to long-form digital content is a foil to AI slop, she told Glossy.

“When I started [at Ouai 10 years ago], it was all premium, hi-fi content [being created by] prestige brands. Then it went to lo-fi, because that hi-fi was not performing well,” she said. This shift ushered in the era of BTS and “scrappy iPhone content,” she said. “And it did do better for so long.”

Now, set against a rush of AI-generated content, the pendulum has swung back toward higher production value to signal craftsmanship and value. “Trust comes from humans, and so I think that if [consumers] feel like there are people behind [the content], and the storytelling is there, and it’s creative, that’s what people are drawn to,” she said.

As an example, Martinez pointed to one of the strongest signals of the week: Prada’s release of a campaign with hand-done illustrations. “They hired one of Disney’s old animators to do a holiday push,” she said. “[For spring-summer 2026] they’d used an AI campaign and had gotten a lot of pushback, so they really swung the pendulum back and listened to a lot of the feedback they were getting.”

On Monday, Meta unveiled a beta test rollout of 90-minute Reels, called Features, that allow certain creators to upload longer, premium content. Geared toward podcasters, comedians and other long-form creators, the new test will be a weathervane for what’s next across Instagram.

On Wednesday, Martinez attended a Meta webinar to learn more. “Right now, if there’s long-form content, you’re seeing the clips hit YouTube or TikTok or Instagram, but you have to leave the platform to watch it,” she said. “[Meta is] wanting to recapture that long-form content [viewership].”

Ouai’s episodes, which range from two to three minutes each, rolled out throughout the week on Instagram and YouTube. Shot to be viewed on both horizontal and vertical screens, they promote the brand’s Bond Repair Balm and Leave-In Conditioner across the storyline. The series also taps into social media-adjacent themes like “blonde blindness” and features a villain in a red light therapy mask.

“It felt right for right now, given the rise of horror, especially horror comedy with [the popularity of] ‘Widow’s Bay,’” Martinez said. “We were right on time.”

Other P&G brands, like Pantene Pro-V, have also recently leaned deeper into long-form, premium content. In mid-October, the brand began to tease a “man on the street”-type series with actor John Stamos, who was also an ambassador of the brand in the ‘90s.

Speaking of trust, his series is rooted in flashbacks to his 30-year-old campaign where, perhaps through luck, his hairline and hair density look nearly the same. “Pantene has been my longest relationship,” he joked during a BTS interview posted to Instagram. “My hair still looks great!”

As for Ouai, Martinez is already planning for more long-form content. “We’re certainly going to try [Meta’s 90-minute Features],” she said. “I’ve already emailed our contact and was like, ‘How do we get it faster?’ We have [the content] ready to go.”

Week in Review

Estée Lauder-owned K-beauty leader Dr. Jart+ has named Yoonchae, singer in popular girl group Katseye, as its first-ever North American brand ambassador. The 18-year-old entertainer will promote the brand’s Premium BB SPF 30 in the partnership’s initial marketing push.
Victoria’s Secret is doubling down on beauty collaborations. The company unveiled its first skin-care partnership with Patchology earlier this month. Now, it’s rolling out a “Pink beauty bar” that includes collaborations with Gen-Z-popular brands like Touchland, Fazit, Wet Brush, Mario Badescu, Vacation, Clean Skin Club, Kiss and more.
Popular SoCal loungewear brand Aviator Nation has partnered with the NBA to roll out a collection of team merch with franchises like the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks. The premium price point includes $89 T-shirts, $165 sweatpants and $189 hoodies.
Sephora has tapped Seth Rogen for a viral marketing stunt in Los Angeles to promote its holiday gift offerings. Sephora’s The Grove location featured a “Sethphoria” sign to tease the activation, followed by the launch of an online campaign called “We All Sephora.” In the ad, Rogan is clumsily shopping for gifts in store before finding help from a Sephora sales associate. “Seth is the perfect partner because he brings a warmth, curiosity and humor that makes beauty feel approachable and fun,” Zena Arnold, CMO at Sephora U.S., said in a statement.

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Ouai launches cinematic web series as long-form content trends: ‘People are craving a new version of authenticity’