Maybelline New York soars to new heights in cosmic campaign via Wavemaker + 2045

Forget subtle, Wavemaker is taking the saying ‘go big or go home’ literally, in Maybelline Australia and New Zealand’s latest multi-platform campaign, using bold media and witty messaging to capture youth attention and reinforce Maybelline Sky High Mascara as the #1 mascara brand in ANZ since 2021.

Dominating Sydney’s iconic coastline, a cheeky plane banner proclaiming ‘Length Does Matter’ will soar from Cronulla to Manly this summer, reaching an estimated 40,000 beachgoers and generating social media buzz amongst trend-obsessed youth.

Leveraging deep understanding of consumer psychographics, location targeting, and travel patterns, Wavemaker secured iconic OOH sites across Australia and New Zealand, including Melbourne’s 1 Swanston Street and Bourke St Mall, and the Apollo site in Auckland, both home to strikingly long billboards that amplify the brand’s cheeky messaging ‘Length Matters’.

Wavemaker also teamed up with oOh!Media and JCDecaux, to secure high-impact OOH placements in key airport locations across Australia and New Zealand, presenting the witty tagline ‘Join Sky High Club’, ensuring maximum visibility for jet-setters. These creatives harness star power by featuring A-list celebrities the Queen of Drag, RuPaul, and Shay Mitchell – Maybelline’s newest ambassadors.

This cosmic-themed campaign integrates traditional and non-traditional advertising elevating Maybelline’s brand presence with young consumers and cementing Maybelline as a trendsetter.

“Our strategy was to match the boldness of Sky High Mascara with equally bold and unconventional media placements,” said Alexandra Walker, campaign director, Wavemaker. “By combining attention-grabbing visuals with strategic placement in high-traffic areas, we ensured Maybelline’s message resonated with the target audience in a positive and provocative way. This campaign epitomises Wavemaker’s ability to think big, act boldly, and execute flawlessly to make waves for our clients.”

Melanie Bower, marketing director at Maybelline New York, says: “As the #1 Mascara brand in Australia and New Zealand, we are committed to pushing the boundaries to connect with our consumers in fun and unexpected ways. We wanted to bring a unique local angle to a global campaign, and taking the Maybelline Sky High space mission off screens and into the real world – to Bondi Beach and beyond – which a playful tone of voice allowed us to do.”

Says Chris Freel, group sales director, oOh!media: “We are thrilled to partner with Wavemaker on this innovative campaign for Maybelline. By leveraging our premium airport assets we are connecting Sky High Mascara with a highly engaged and style-conscious audience, in a contextually relevant environment, to amplify the campaign’s reach and impact among trendsetting travelers.”

This campaign was supported by an out-of-this-world pop up experience, a mascara-shaped rocket ship ‘crash landed’ on Sydney’s most famous Bondi beach, Maybelline’s largest activation to date. Created in collaboration with Bastion, the in-person activation encouraged consumers to enter ‘a star field galaxy’, an immersive room covered in lights and mirrors that reveal free Sky High Mascara samples – inspired by the legendary Yayoi Kusama infinity rooms.

The campaign will run until February 15 aligning with the peak summer season to maximise visibility and engagement. Look up, Australia – you might just see length that matters.

Maybelline New York:
Scott da Silva – Brand Manager
Adele Courgenay – Brand Business Lead
Melaine Bower – Marketing Director

Wavemaker:
Alexandra Walker – Campaign Director
Steph Mastio – Business Director
Zoe Edwards – Strategy Director

Media Partners:
XOMedia
JCDecaux
QMS
oOh!Media

Agency: 2045