Too Faced Cosmetics LLC plans to mark its 20th anniversary with a fresh face. It partnered with the New York-based Wilhelmina International Inc. agency on a search for the brand’s next spokesperson, who will be “the face” of its 20th Birthday Campaign.
Candidates uploaded “makeup-free” photos for a chance to receive a one-year modeling contract with Wilhelmina and $25,000 in cash.
Estée Lauder Cos. Inc. bought Too Faced in November for $1.5 billion, a deal that kick-started the next chapter of the Irvine-based company started in 1998 by Jeremy Johnson and Jerrod Blandino.
Too Faced is on a hiring spree—it’s looking for sales personnel to staff its “shop-within-a-shop” locations in the U.K. It also plans to hire a director of marketing, “a key role in developing and executing highly creative, strategic opportunities to promote Too Faced globally,” and a vice president of operations who’ll be responsible for “the strategic development and management of all product operations … including the global supply chain.” Notable Irvine-based positions include a senior influencer manager, who’ll develop the “brand’s overall influencer global strategy.”
Too Faced ended last year with about $270 million in revenue.
Summer Plans
Vans Inc.’s summer is pretty booked. The apparel and footwear brand, in the midst of a move from Cypress to Costa Mesa, is sponsoring two major events—the 2017 Vans Warped Tour with stops in 27 cities and the 2017 Vans US Open of Surfing, a nine-day event that kicks off July 29 in Huntington Beach. The latter will include skate and BMX competitions, as well as art exhibitions and hands-on creative workshops at the Van Doren Village.
The event “revels in the opportunity to bring the entire community together in honor of the industry’s most creative and talented pursuits,” Mitch Whitaker, general manager of Vans’ North America region, said in a statement. Surfing events will be broadcast on USOpenofSurfing.com, WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL app and on the World Surf League’s Facebook page. Coverage will also include the CBS Sports Network in the U.S., Fox Sports in Australia, ESPN in Brazil, Sky NZ in New Zealand, SFR Sports in France and Portugal, and as part of the EDGEsport Network, according to Vans. Other event sponsors are Jeep, Airbnb, Michelob Ultra, Hydro Flask, G-Shock, LifeProof, CLIF Bar, D’Angelico Guitars, Red Bull, Frontier, Ralphs, Peet’s Coffee and 7-Eleven.
The Vans Warped Tour, meanwhile, is in its 23rd year and will feature about 100 bands, including the Ataris, Sick of It All, GWAR, American Authors, CKY, Municipal Waste, Neck Deep, Strung Out, Andy Black, Creeper, Anti-Flag, Save Ferris and Hatebreed.
Footwear retailer Journeys heads a sponsor lineup that also includes Full Sail University, Skullcandy Inc., Monster Energy and Blaze Pizza.
Annual Vans revenue climbed 6% to $2.3 billion last year, making it the largest and fastest-growing brand for parent VF Corp.
Brand Philosophies
Mazda North American Operations in Irvine launched an extension of its Driving Matters marketing campaign that focuses on Latino consumers and their “existing positive affinity for Japanese-made products.”
The campaign—which airs on Telemundo and Univision—began on July 9 with “a week-long disruption” phase that included ads in Japanese only. Upcoming segments will focus on the automaker’s brand philosophies: passion that connects with its KODO-Soul of Motion design; harmony, which is related its Jinba Ittai driving dynamics; and perseverance, which ties into the company’s “Hiroshima challenger spirit.”
“Through our research, we’ve discovered that there are more than 12 million Hispanic consumers in the United States who identify with Mazda brand philosophies, yet that same research shows that many are simply not familiar with the brand,” Vice President of Marketing Russell Wager said in a statement. “Our goal is to make sure they understand Mazda not only by our cars, but what we stand for.”
Garage Team Mazda in Costa Mesa developed the ads in partnership with multicultural marketing communications ad shop Bravo Group Inc. in Harrisburg, Pa.
