Benefit backs biggest launch to date with cutting-edge virtual campaign

Benefit Cosmetics has kicked off an innovative Virtual Atom (VA) campaign to showcase its new lash-lengthening Magnet Mascara and better connect with consumers in the Covid-19 climate.

Using a new “magnetic formula that draws out lashes to extreme lengths,” the new They’re Real! Extreme Lengthening and Powerful Lifting Magnet Mascara is Benefit’s biggest launch to date.

Created in partnership with Because UK, the new virtual media campaign uses VA Augmented Reality technology to engage consumers and drive purchase via a cutting-edge gamified, at-home experience.

After signing up and dropping a pin to indicate their location, consumers can use their smartphone cameras to view and collect Benefit digital tokens and ‘magnetic surprises’ that appear in their space.

Each item they collect will be stored in their vAtom wallet and can then be used to spin-and-win instant prizes such as virtual beauty consultations, full-size and mini mascaras and product discounts.

Benefit has also partnered with beauty influencers who will share exclusive content showcasing the product on the VA platform.

Benefit Cosmetics UK & Ireland digital manager Ella Pearn said: “Covid-19 has greatly impacted our traditional experiential model and has meant that we needed to navigate and cater to an entirely new beauty shopping and engagement journey.

“We have had to completely re-think how to engage with our customer and meaningfully insert ourselves into their life.

“Our focus was to connect the online and offline experience seamlessly, ensuring physical and virtual omnipresence, encouraging customer involvement and exploration at every touch-point.

“Working with Because UK on this project has been an absolute delight. They understood the challenges that we faced not being able to execute our biggest launch to-date in our usual way, our need for full digital integration into the experiential strategy and were able to provide a solution using their cutting-edge vAtom technology.

“We are incredibly excited to see how we can evolve this further and continue to leverage this technology moving forward.

"The opportunities really are limited only by the imagination.”

They’re Real! Extreme Lengthening and Powerful Lifting Magnet Mascara is available now, with the Virtual Atom campaign set to run until 7 March.