by By: Sadie Wehunt
In the beauty and personal care industry we commonly see how brands use celebrity partnerships as an attempt to standout from competitors and to gain brand visibility. However, having a face tied to the brand isn’t all it takes to see success— it’s the strategy behind the partnership. Redken’s partnership with Sabrina Carpenter is a strong example of how strategic storytelling and celebrity brand alignment can help build personality to a brand and leverage its brand awareness.
In September 2024, Redken and Carpenter officially announced their partnership on social media. This partnership made Carpenter the first Redken Global Ambassador. When announced, I felt that this partnership made sense. Carpenter’s iconic blonde hair has become recognizable for her brand. With this signature look, partnering with a professional haircare brand like Redken came across as authentic and genuine. This perception is important in terms of gaining trust and loyalty with customers.
One of my favorite campaigns I’ve seen on my social media recently is from this partnership. The “Leave It In” campaign involves a musical theater-themed video advertisement to promote Redken’s Acidic Bonding Concentrate Leave-In Treatment. This advertisement performs a song that creatively informs viewers about the purpose of the product. The lyrics of this song are laced with humorous double meaning, which is an aspect commonly found within Carpenter’s own music. In the video, the Redken brand essentially transports Carpenter into a fantasy filled with energy, motion and ambition. This show business angle works to position Redken as a brand that supports busy, chaotic lives through functionality.
Along with strategically building life behind the brand, the timing of this partnership and its campaign releases are notable. In a 2024 PR Newswire article, it explained how the partnership came just after the release of Carpenter’s highly anticipated album, Short n’ Sweet, which “was one of the biggest global debuts of 2024 and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200.” Additionally, the release of the “Leave It In” campaign came just one month after the release of her latest album, Man’s Best Friend. These timing decisions are crucial in terms of maximizing the potential traction and relevancy of this partnership.
Another way that this partnership worked to capitalize on its potential was by utilizing social media platforms. Carpenter’s fanbase is around 16-32 years old, and this is like the target audience of Redken products. Social media is a prime way to reach this audience of early millennials and Gen Z. The full minute and a half advertisement for the “Leave It In” campaign was published on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Additionally, the shortened video advertisement for this campaign also was published to socials. This detail worked to appeal to the shorter attention spans of this target audience. Additionally, Redken had several of its influencer partners promote the campaign as well. These micro influencers, all within the highlighted target age range, posted short, 20 second video clips of them using this product to a snippet of the campaign song to TikTok. These influencers ultimately helped spread brand visibility on social media and worked to connect with potential customers who share similar values of strengthening and repairing their hair to live a dynamic lifestyle.
Overall, this is a strong brand partnership. The strategy behind the partnership, campaigns, and influencer content all shared how to effectively reach digital audiences. With this partnership, Redken worked to sell a feeling by immersing viewers into a playful atmosphere to create a lively perception of the brand. It was clear that Redken understood its target audience and used a celebrity partnership that felt authentic rather than transactional to connect with people. To leverage this authenticity, Redken also shared how influencers are vital in gaining reach on social media.
References:
https://www.tiktok.com/@redkenuki/video/7556656308418612502
https://www.tiktok.com/@veroscutaro/video/7556380713516420382
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpZCt-lV_lM
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Hi Sadie! As a Sabrina Carpenter fan, I loved this post. I completely agree that the Redken partnership did an incredible job marketing to its targeted audience. By employing some of the more “risque” content that Sabrina fans love, Redken captures the attention of this audience, and by being bold with their advertising, the ad creates more noise. I really enjoyed the campaign when I saw it, so I loved hearing your perspective!
Hi Sadie! I love that you decided to write about a Sabrina Carpenter related online partnership, I am a huge fan! I was obsessed with this partnership, so naturally I gravitated to reading your blog post. I agree that the “Leave It In” campaign’s musical storytelling and humor perfectly align with Carpenter’s personal brand, making the collaboration more memorable and engaging. Your blog also shows how smart timing and platform-specific strategies can amplify a campaign’s reach and relevance among younger audiences.
Hi Sadie, I loved reading this! I like how you highlighted the timing of the campaigns and how Redken leveraged social media and influencers to reach the right audience. It makes so much sense that they tied it to Sabrina Carpenter’s album releases. I also thought your point about authenticity was spot-on; partnerships feel way more effective when they actually align with the celebrity’s image and the brand’s values. Definitely gave me a better understanding of how thoughtful brand strategy works in beauty marketing!
Hi Sadie, I think your article is great! I also thought the partnership seemed authentic and made sense, which is super important for consumer trust. I think the campaign did a great job of blending Sabrina’s overall vibe and personality into the marketing of the product. The timing of the partnership was great as well, with her album that had just recently come out. Overall, great article and I enjoyed reading it!