Essie Capitalizes on Episodic Video Campaign Structure

After pining for blog post topic inspiration this past week, I was spontaneously reminded, thanks to Rebekah's post on Kate Spade's #missadventure ad campaign, of a brief series of YouTube advertisements that had caught my eye a few months ago from Essie, an American nail polish company currently operating under L'Oreal.

The campaign, known as the Essie's Naming Department series and currently only features two two-minute long film ads, involves episodic, dramatized sagas of how Essie nail polishes get their names. Each ad centers around two unnamed female leads who work in the fictionalized Essie naming department and the inspiration they find in typical work day scenarios for unique nail polish names, tailored within specific nail polish lines. The ads rely on a quirky, sort of kitschy vibe, and a lighthearted sense of humor to engage audiences, and in my opinion, they are very effective in doing so.

I remember first seeing these ads when I was about to watch a YouTube video, but instead of skipping past the advertisement when given the option I watched all the way through to the end and actually found myself wanting more, a rare occurrence when it comes to ads that disrupt the flow of my video viewing or streaming experience. I cannot recall having ever seen another advertisement or ad campaign for nail polish, and considering the characteristics of the product, I can imagine that it would be difficult for brands to differentiate themselves within the industry as color and formula are the only major differences in their products.

I think that Essie was smart in choosing to focus on the uniqueness of the names of their products rather than on the physical characteristics of nail polish as it allows them to tell a story, capture the audience's interest, and create a bond between potential customer and brand. Additionally, Essie nail polishes are a bit higher end, and therefore pricier, than standard drugstore nail polishes, and I think that the brand identity that these ads foster might convinces customers who previously did not feel connected with the brand to try Essie products regardless of the price disparity versus other similar products.

I'm surprised that Essie has not expanded upon this series, and as both an interested advertising student and a consumer, I hope to see more from them in the future!