Eos reunites people who shared a first kiss—to try a second one

Almost a decade ago, L.A. fashion label Wren released a short film by Tatia Pilieva where strangers shared a first kiss on camera. It went super viral, not just because of the voyeurism inherent in watching people kiss, but because the people didn’t know each other, which led to a mix of awkwardness and tenderness—it was sweet but also funny—that made it compelling. There’s something of the same dynamic at work in eos’s new short film by Mischief, which also has a fun premise—reuniting people who shared a first kiss years ago, and inviting them to attempt a do-over. The two-minute film features three couples, all of whom have fond memories of their first kiss—even though, in each case, it didn’t exactly go that well. In a nice touch, one of the couples’ kisses was extra awkward—because the guy was gay, and ended up coming out to the girl on the spot. The film, directed by Lance Oppenheim at Biscuit, also has lots of fanciful touches—an unexpected theatricality that makes it extra appealing, with the product both central to the story yet completely unobtrusive as well. There’s no big secret as to why the film works so well. It tells a charming and relatable human story first, with the product—eos being the No. 1 organic lip-balm brand in America—soaking up the good vibes in a supporting role. The insight was reinforced by eos research that showed a first kiss is more than twice as likely to be recalled as awkward, sloppy or embarrassing versus present-day kisses. Playing up that awkwardness through intentionally goofy re-enactments, based on candid interviews—the bus driver is a low-key star here—is an inspired choice that also nicely brings the hazy memories themselves to life. “First kiss stories are so cringe and yet so relatable,” said Soyoung Kang, chief marketing officer at eos. “Our team laugh-cried while sharing memories, from launching at someone in a bounce house to accidentally kissing the wrong twin. Mine was while watching ‘The Shining,’ which says it all. At least we can always rely on eos lip balm, keeping our lips smooth since before we knew how to use them.” That last line is also in the film—an off-kilter tweak to standard marketing-speak that nicely caps things off. “Casting was no easy feat,” said Howard Finkelstein, group creative director at Mischief. “Would you reach out to your first kiss, and ask them to fly across the country to do it again on camera? Would you both say yes to that? It was a tricky search but we lucked out with some really great people and fun stories.” The interviews with the cast turned out to be critical, he added. “We heard great tidbits about sweating through school uniforms, an impatient bus driver who saw everything, and complete bewilderment about what you’re supposed to do with your hands,” said Finkelstein. “Those details became the basis of a fun recreation for one of our couples.” Along with the film, the campaign will run as :30 and :15 spots on OTT/CTV, online video and paid social media. On TikTok, creators will share more about their awkward, romantic and weird first kisses.

Eos reunites people who shared a first kiss—to try a second one

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