Shifts in living, masking and trends like the “great resignation” and “lying flat” made makeup routines less routine. The category was seeing a historic decline in sales as people had fewer reasons to buy or wear makeup.

COVID-19 hit pause for many people around the world.

When a return to some normalcy seemed to be on the horizon, it was the right time to help people celebrate every step back, do more, push life further, do things bigger, and play with makeup more than ever. 

Capture the excitement of pressing play on life and the playful nature of makeup that we've missed.

Bring the fun of makeup back to our consumer and excite them with the possibilities of their return to going out, getting dressed up, putting on their favorite looks and finding new ones with Maybelline New York's hero products.

We created a universally recognizable mnemonic that could be used across cultures and platforms, that felt new to the category.

We captured the spirit and joy of makeup exploration by pushing the boundaries with bold makeup looks and unexpected situations led by the brand’s celebrity spokespeople.