L’Oréal is bringing in one agency to run social across its Maybelline New York and Essie brands for the first time.
VML has been named lead U.S. social agency for the brands following a competitive review, the agency told ADWEEK, with a remit spanning social strategy, content production, and community management. The scope does not include influencer marketing.
The pitch began in November 2025, consolidating what had been a patchwork of internal teams, according to VML.
The move reflects a broader reckoning in beauty, where discovery and purchase are increasingly happening on TikTok and Instagram, making social a key commerce channel. For brands like Maybelline and Essie, in the makeup and nail polish sectors, respectively, that shift demands a more integrated approach to content.
“It wasn’t just content creation,” Leo Madden, global client partner at VML, told ADWEEK. “It was strategy, production, real-time community management, listening, performance measurement—all working together as an engine.”
The review, which ran through early 2026, was managed internally by the brand rather than through a search consultancy. Madden said he didn’t have visibility into how many agencies competed.
Maybelline spent approximately $60 million on media in 2025 and Essie spent around $10 million, according to COMvergence estimates.
While the two brands will share a social team, their voices will stay distinct, Madden said. Work is already underway, with content live since January and VML teams actively providing community management, though the agency declined to share specific examples.
The win comes as VML is pulled into a new group called WPP Creative as part of CEO Cindy Rose’s $676 million cost cutting plan. Longtime VML global CEO Jon Cook was promoted to lead the division as CEO.
