Brief:

• Perfect launched a photo editing contest timed with New York Fashion Week to promote its YouCam Perfect app, giving users a chance to see their pictures on its Instagram account. The app has augmented reality (AR) filters, artificial intelligence (AI) effects, stickers and editing tools for pictures, according to a company announcement.
• To enter, people can use the YouCam Perfect app to edit their fashion pictures with its runway background and the "add photo" feature, which has a new multi-layering effect. Photos need to be marked with the #NYFW2019 hashtag, and mobile users need to comment on its website to let Perfect know about the post in order to enter the Instagram contest, per its website.
• People use YouCam perfect to take 25 million pictures a day, and 58% of them use filters in the pictures, per its announcement. YouCam Perfect is free on Apple's App Store and Google Play.

Insight:

Perfect aims to build on the publicity around New York Fashion Week with a campaign tied with its YouCam Perfect app, which lets users edit photos and see AR overlays on selfies to virtually try on makeup. By urging people to post pictures inspired by the fashion event on social media, Perfect can spread the word about its app among mobile users who are already interested in fashion and beauty.

New York Fashion Week not only is a chance for designers to showcase their latest looks, but also for marketers like Perfect to leverage buzz around the event. Google-owned YouTube last week unveiled a hub for fashion and beauty content. The section pulls together videos from creators, livestreams of runway shows from fashion shows like New York Fashion Week, a beauty section and collaborations with brands.

Earlier this summer, Perfect launched "YouCam for Web" that lets consumers test products using AR tools. Perfect's clientele includes brands such as Estée Lauder, MAC and YSL on its YouCamp platform. Direct-to-consumer hair color brand Madison Reed and Jerome Russell brand Punky Colour last year partnered with Perfect to show off their products to mobile users. Aside from beauty brands, Perfect also partnered with more retailers and brands including Target and QVC, and introduced fresh mobile features like livestreaming.

The @YouCamApps account has 61,500 followers on Instagram, while Perfect's apps have been downloaded more than 750 million times, per its announcement. During the 2018 holiday season, Perfect introduced an editing app called YouCam Video to help mobile users create customized content to share on social media, further extending YouCam's reach and helping consumers grow more comfortable with virtual beauty try-ons.