On Thursday, body-care brand Megbabe and nail-care brand Olive & June introduced a limited-edition collaboration that brings their customer communities into the fold.
The limited-edition set, called Olive You Megababe, includes three nail polish colors matching Megababe’s brand palette, nail stickers that fit both large and small hands, a Megababe mini deodorant and a Megababe-branded personal fan, all inside an orange fanny pack. It retails for $44. Though both Olive & June and Megababe sell through Target, the set is exclusively sold DTC through both brand’s e-commerce websites. As part of the campaign promoting the collab, an open casting call was held in New York City on May 26, where approximately 50 people showed up. Both brands promoted the casting call through their social media accounts and all attendees subsequently were included in the campaign, which is designed to uplift and celebrate body positivity. It was the first in-person activation both brands have hosted since March 2020.
“During the casting call, we asked people ‘How do our products made you feel?’ Or, ‘How does a manicure make you feel?’” said Sarah Gibson Tuttle, Olive & June founder and CEO. “But we also asked them ‘What is your definition of the perfect summer?’ People would say it was hanging out with their friends. We wanted to [find out] how our products had changed their lives, and how they [went on] to then live their best lives.”
The campaign itself features both videos and static imagery, which will be shared across the brands’ and founders’ social accounts. Katie Sturino, Megababe founder, has 605,000 Instagram followers, while Megababe has 141,000 followers. Olive & June has 410,000 followers, and Tuttle has 22,600 followers.
Several other recent brand campaigns have explored themes of happiness and body positivity. MAC Cosmetics U.K. and Ireland launched a similar campaign called “Love Me” on Wednesday, while Sol de Janeiro wanted to bring the Brazilian essence of “Alegria da Vida” to cities around the globe. Part of this could easily be ascribed to the seasonal attributes of summer, but it is also likely a reflection of customer desire for joyful experiences following the difficulty of Covid-19 lockdowns.
Brand collaborations have also gained traction, as a step beyond the typical cross-promotion on social media or cross-sell on e-commerce. In May, Dr. Barbara Sturm partnered with Naked Cashmere on vulva-care products, while Versed partnered with loungewear brand For Days in March. Drybar and It Cosmetics also debuted a round hairbrush-inspired mascara in 2019. Megababe has had collaborations with clothing brands Day/Won and Lele Sadoughi in 2020. Meanwhile, Olive & June worked with influencer Nabela Noor in 2020.
“We wanted to showcase our communities and bring them to the forefront. What Olive & June and Megababe stand for is making our communities feel like their best selves,” said Tuttle.
Sturino added, “We want to make women feel less alone and to [de-stigmatize] body problems, like chafing and sweat, that [we’re conditioned to feel] are weird but are actually normal.”
