Living Proof’s recent brand campaigns have relied on star power supplied by Lily Collins or Paris Hilton. Its latest, however, takes a bit of a different approach, casting three creators to introduce the brand’s newly reformulated shampoos and conditioners. The new hair wash products rely on “Sili-Clone,” which was designed to mimic five of silicone’s most desirable benefits — detangling, slip, sleekness, conditioning and shine — without coating the hair.
Living Proof has never used silicones — its original formulas used an ingredient called OFPMA, which the brand described as the “healthy hair molecule.” But Sili-Clone is a new and improved alternative to silicone. According to the brand’s CMO, Alexis Tedesco, “It’s important to us not to get stagnant.”
“At Living Proof, we are constantly researching and evaluating the latest technologies to develop highly effective products with cutting-edge performance,” said the brand’s chief R&D officer, Ron McLaughlin. “Our latest shampoos and conditioners powered by Sili-Clone HairTech deliver the exceptional in-shower experience customers seek and the premium finish they deserve after every wash, while also keeping hair cleaner and healthier for longer.”
In the spot for the new campaign, which will air on YouTube, creators Skyelar Chase (457,000 Instagram followers), Sai De Silva (619,000 Instagram followers) and Larissa Mills (442,000 Instagram followers) are seen talking about their love for and loyalty to Living Proof. Each creator has been a longtime user of the brand and was selected to speak to one of the brand’s various demographics.
“We’ve spent a lot of time over the last year getting deep into who our consumer is,” Tedesco said. “We know our consumer base is pretty vast, so we wanted to show up that way, … rather than be aspirational with one face [of the brand].”
In early February, a host of influencers began to post content tied to the campaign. Tedesco said the brand tapped 200% more paid creators for this campaign than for previous campaigns, but did not specify exactly how many.
One creator posted an Instagram Story stating, “I’ve been noticing I need to wash my hair more frequently. It’s been unusually dry at the ends but greasy on my scalp. Through my research, I’ve learned it is most likely due to silicone buildup.” Another asset, originally shared by the brand but reposted by a creator, read, “Your shampoo + conditioner doesn’t stop working, and your hair hasn’t gotten ‘immune’ to its benefits. Instead, this is a sign your hair is experiencing a buildup of silicone.”
The posts spurred backlash from several creators who criticized the campaign for villainizing silicones. Living Proof did not address the matter on its public channels, but Tedesco told Glossy she had a call with a number of the creators who criticized the campaign to address their concerns.
Dana Isabella Patterson, a creator who is working on a hair-care brand herself, was one such creator who vocalized her frustration with the early assets from the campaign. She was not on the phone call with the brand.
“I absolutely adore Living Proof. One of their dry shampoos is my absolute Holy Grail that I recommend to everyone,” she told Glossy. “[But when I saw this campaign], I was disappointed. Fenty Hair, for example, is one of my favorite lines, and they don’t use silicones. But the difference is that their marketing is all about why their silicone alternatives are better and why their products are better — it doesn’t focus on demonizing specific ingredients they don’t use.”
Cosmetic chemist Ginger King shared her opinions on silicone with Glossy — she is not affiliated with any particular brand and was not briefed on the Living Proof campaign. In short, King is a fan of silicones in hair care. Yes, dimethicone — a silicone — can build up, she said, “if you use it daily and there’s more than 5% in the formula.” However, she noted, it’s “typically found in hair treatments, which consumers are more likely to use just once or twice a week. … For daily shampoo and conditioner, silicones give a pleasurable hair feel that is not easily replaceable.”
For its part, Living Proof believes that going silicone-free helps prevent a “cycle of stress,” as described by Tedesco. Silicones “make your hair more manageable,” but then customers need a detoxifying shampoo to get them out, she said. As such, “you have to wash your hair more often, dry your hair more often and heat style your hair more often. … We’re all about keeping your hair cleaner for longer,” she said. She pointed to the popularity of the brand’s dry shampoos, — it sells one every six seconds, according to the company.
“This is in no way shaming or fear-mongering against silicones. I think silicones are amazing, and they should be used in certain situations and in certain instances. … But there is a huge subset of the population that chooses not to use silicones, and we want to make sure that, if you are going to go silicone-free, we’re providing the best experience possible — so you don’t feel like you’re sacrificing anything,” Tedesco said.
