Lancôme x Emma Chamberlain 2023 Ad Campaign Review

Review of Lancôme x Emma Chamberlain 2023 Ad Campaign by Photographer Andoni & Arantxa with Talent Emma Chamberlain

Lancôme has just about perfected the art of influencer marketing with its recent web series starring iconic internet personality Emma Chamberlain. Titled “How Do You Say Beauty In French,” the four-part YouTube series follows Chamberlain as she explores the world of Lancôme’s beauty products, skincare research, and role in shaping the cultural perception of French beauty.

In the first episode, Chamberlain introduced the series, explores the beauty brand’s office building HQ, and meets Lancôme’s international scientific director, Dr. Annie Black. The second episode follows Emma as she meets a friend for coffee at the Pompidou’s cafe, where they reflect on independence and defying expectations. The third episode sees Emma explore the brand’s expansive flagship boutique in Paris, and the series culminates in its fourth episode that takes us behind the scenes of a fashion photoshoot – the resulting, excellently styled images of which smartly form a poster or teaser for the video series.

Along the way, Emma’s sense of humor and natural optimism shine through, breaking down barriers with the audience and drawing us into her journey. Even people with no interest in beauty and makeup or the most advertising-averse zoomer are bound to have fun watching Emma be her carefree, thoughtful self as she explores the intersecting worlds of beauty, fashion, and science.

With her celebrated humor and authenticity, Emma Chamberlain pretty much set the blueprint for how Gen-Z communicates and generate content online. While her rise to stardom on YouTube predated the TikTok explosion by a couple years, we can definitely see how her style influenced the approach of many creators across the platform. A quick scroll through the YouTube comments on each of the Lancôme videos proves how deeply the series is resonating with people, thanks almost entirely to her uniquely likable presence.

Which isn’t to say that Lancôme’s creative team didn’t also put in the work; the series is excellently produced, paced, and edited. And while the six-minute video series format is perfect for YouTube, the platform of which Emma Chamberlain is the queen, there are plenty of fun moments that are sure to make for excellent TikTok or Instagram videos.

Matching the perfect casting choice with smart production and an authentic spirit of openness and fun, Lancôme delivers what may be the best Gen-Z-focused ad campaign we’ve seen so far.