Beauty’s sports boom
Skincare is big business for the so-called “TikTok generation.” As per Fortune Business Insights, the value of the global skincare market is projected to rise from $115.6 billion in 2024 to $194 billion by 2032.
Gen Z is fueling this growth. A 2023 study from payment firm Klarna found skincare to be the category 41% of Gen Zers and 40% of millennials spent most on. Gen Alpha isn’t far behind in its obsession, with tweens increasingly tapping into the “pre-juvenation” trend.
Since it was founded in 2020 Bubble has grown from a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand offering five SKUs to one available in over 9,000 doors, including big-box retailers. Over that time it’s become a staple in Gen Z’s bathroom cabinets, with Eisenman stating it was accessible to over 90% of the U.S. population.
Behind the cruelty-free brand’s success is a network of nearly 5,000 teens who give feedback on everything from new product development to packaging via a group chat.
With a mission to provide guidance and transparency, the Bubble brand acts as a “trusted older sibling” on all consumer touchpoints, its executive creative director Lindsay St. Clair recently told ADWEEK.
It’s not the first brand to muscle in on the college experience. Stanley will also embark on a college tour this fall, showcasing its best-selling drinkware products with an immersive space. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar also partnered with EA Sports for a fall football marketing campaign.
Bubble’s tailgate tour also comes as women-centric beauty, skincare, and fashion brands invest more heavily in sports marketing, capitalizing on a growing, captive audience.
These include e.l.f. Beauty and L’Oreal’s NYX, which both advertised during Super Bowl 58. More recently, Fenty Beauty partnered with the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, while Charlotte Tilbury linked with F1 Academy to promote women participation in motorsport.