Conventional wisdom is that big beauty companies and brands have a near monopoly on big stars and new technology. Jennifer Aniston is Living Proof they don't.
The star of "Friends" in the 1990s and numerous films since waited decades to do her first beauty endorsement, and when she did chose largely unknown brand Living Proof to back in a deal reached late last year. Now, she's having a big impact.
Since Ms. Aniston's webisode series for small ultra-prestige brand launched in May, combined with a spring print campaign featuring her in Vogue, In Style and Glamour, the brand's online sales at LivingProof.com have soared fivefold, the company said, though it declined to give specifics. Living Proof's brand awareness has more than doubled (up 140% the company said) from a year ago. And this comes despite a still-modest 148,000 YouTube views so far for the first installment of the "Good Hair Day" series.
Living Proof may still be well down the awareness list compared to the likes Pantene, Tresemme and even salon brands like Redken. But in May it did for the first time crack the top 300 on Total Beauty's "Share of Audience" report, which ranks brands based on web traffic they generate at review site TotalBeauty.com. Google Trends indicates search volume for Living Proof has passed that of well-established salon brand Biolage.
Sales are also up at key retailers Sephora and Ulta, where Living Proof sells most of its product, though the privately-held company isn't divulging sales are other than that they remain "under $100 million," said CMO Grace Ray. But she's clearly happy with the job Ms. Aniston, who also took an equity stake in Living Proof as part of her deal, is having on the brand.