Dive Brief:

• Maybelline New York has partnered with media company Time Out on a campaign, "Dating IRL," that seeks to encourage real life dating, according to a press release. The campaign will run from July through October and was created by Time Out Creative Solutions in support of Maybelline's Fit Me foundation product.
• "Dating IRL" includes an editorial sponsorship, branded interactive content hub, digital advertising, newsletters, social media posts and videos, and live events at the Time Out Market in several cities. Maybelline will help relaunch and sponsor Time Out's series "The Undateables."
• The campaign comes as marketers look to activate campaigns across a variety of digital and in-person channels to reach younger consumers, especially as they continue to return to pre-pandemic activities like dating.

Dive Insight:

Maybelline New York's "Dating IRL" campaign ties into consumer behaviors as an ebbing and flowing pandemic continues to shape daily life. The L'Oréal brand is seeking to boost a cosmetic product that might have been seen as less essential when working, socializing and dating were mostly virtual, but is now more important as consumers venture out more.

"Across the US, people have missed ‘city life’ — now that we're getting back into it, they are looking for things to do, and they trust Time Out to inspire and entertain them. And though the past years have taught us we may not need to spend as much effort or time on our outer appearances, it remains a large part of our lives," said Jessica Feinstein, senior vice president of U.S. marketing for Maybelline, in a statement.

The 360-degree campaign demonstrates both the variety of channels that marketers must play in to reach younger, digitally native consumers and the ability of a media company like Time Out to provide a panoply of such channels.

Central to the effort is a relaunch partnership and sponsorship of Time Out's blind date series, "The Undateables," which was paused during the pandemic. The publication will also produce sponsored articles about the new world of dating and a personality-style interactive quiz, all of which will live on a branded content hub. To drive consumers to the branded content, Time Out will produce posts and videos on Facebook and Instagram.

In addition to digital content, the campaign will be extended to live events at Time Out Market locations in New York, Chicago and Miami, and an additional venue in Los Angeles. The Time Out Markets will feature Maybelline sampling and makeover stations, in addition to a curated experience that includes food, music, drinks, comedy and speed dating. The experiential component demonstrates how marketers have resumed using a tactic that was popular before the pandemic altered in-person events.