Tribal DDB San Francisco Creates Glamouriety for Benefit Cosmetics

SAN FRANCISCO, April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Tribal DDB San Francisco has created a full-length feature film for Benefit Cosmetics called "Glamouriety," which premieres today during the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival.  The film chronicles the lives of Jean and Jane Ford, co-founders of the cosmetics brand, and profiles its evolution from a storefront in San Francisco to a global phenomenon.  The sisters' first boutique opened in San Francisco in 1976. In 1999, Benefit was acquired by LVMH, the world's leading luxury product group, which catapulted it to a global beauty presence with make-up counters in over 34 countries worldwide.

Glamouriety was created in the style of a 1970's variety show in an effort to capture the fun, quirky spirit and wide variety of products that make Benefit so unique.  The film uses creative storytelling to highlight some of the muses behind Benefit's most popular products. It runs the gamut from animation to acrobatics, encompassing a rare combination of short films, comedy sketches, animated shorts and musical numbers, all showcasing the co-founders, their loyal customers and the beloved make-up brand. 

"We knew if our employees could fully experience the history of the brand and our sense of humour, it would become a deeper part of our culture, and ultimately contribute to a stronger brand," said Regina A. Flanagan, SVP, Strategy and Program Management, Benefit Cosmetics. 

A series of animated shorts throughout the film tell the story of the Ford sisters from birth to present day.  Live action segments include a docudrama about a cross-dressing farmer who was one of Benefit's first customers, a spoof on a medical show inspired by the best-selling product Dr. Feelgood, and a sketch titled "The Glam Gospel," featuring Reverend Gloria, a beauty evangelist who performs makeover miracles.  Musical numbers such as a heartfelt ballad about the genesis of "Benetint," a stain created for an exotic dancer's nipples, serve as anecdotal illustrations of the product's conception.

Conceived of and produced by Tribal DDB San Francisco in conjunction with LEGS in NY and Mr. Hyde in Paris, Glamouriety has been a labor of love and an incredible collaboration between agency and client.  "The opportunity to partner with Jean, Jane and the talented folks at Benefit to tell this amazing story was a rare gift," said Lisa Bennett, Chief Creative Officer, DDB West. "Jean and Jane's adventures are unlike any other.  They are the reason why this brand is such an original.  We owed it to them to come up with an incredibly creative solution that would appeal to employees and consumers around the world."

Glamouriety will continue to premiere in cinemas throughout 2012 in cities such as Shanghai, Seoul, London and Paris.

About DDB

DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc (www.ddb.com) ranks among the top five consolidated advertising and marketing services global networks, according to Advertising Age. DDB emphasizes Social Creativity to grow the value and influence of brands around the world by creating ideas that people want to play with, participate in and pass along. The agency is consistently one of the most awarded at the Cannes Festival of Creativity and was recognized by The Gunn Report as one of the Top 3 Global Networks for 10 of the last 12 years. DDB was also recently named the Spikes Asia Network of the Year for the second consecutive year and the Eurobest Network of the Year for the third consecutive year. DDB Worldwide is part of Omnicom Group Inc. (OMC) and consists of more than 200 offices in over 90 countries.

Contact
Jeff Swystun: 212-415-2186
Elena Weinstein: 212-415-2191

SOURCE DDB