BRAND: ULTA BEAUTY
BRAND MOVEMENT | BRAND PURPOSE
THE JOY PROJECT
It’s never okay to be a bully. Yet, when it comes to bullying ourselves, all of a sudden, we have no problem with it.
Hmmm… That’s odd.
To make it make sense, here’s what I did:
Binged content surrounding self-bullying, specifically, dissecting the language people used to talk to themselves vs. to others
Impromptu ethnographies at Ulta Beauty stores, eavesdropping on how guests talked to themselves and how they interacted with the Associates at the store
Taught myself CBT as a frame of reference, in order to help creatives crack the creative solution to address the inner critic
Artifacts I created: creative brief, brand partner brief, the anatomy of a brand movement, and many, many creative presentations in between.
The Background.
Ulta Beauty is on a mission to help pave the path to joy for more people.
The truth is, America is experiencing a joy deficit. In fact, only one-third of Americans report experiencing the joy that they want in their lives.
At Ulta Beauty, we believe that needs to change. Since 1990, we’ve been the go-to- destination for millions of people across the United States to realize the beautiful possibilities that lie within them.
A place to discover, to dream.
A place where our guests can unleash their potential. Sing. Shatter. Soar.
And above all – experience that dose of joy that they want.
But on our path to joy, there’s often something standing in the way: the inner critic.
It’s something Ulta Beauty has witnessed first-hand.
Something that our own Associates see every single day. In every single store.
The Tension.
We have such an intimate relationship with our inner critic, that we’ve let it live rent-free in our head this whole time.
We’ve all been there before.
That time when you wanted to try a new lipstick shade…
Or gave your hair a fresh twist…
Or put on that exciting eyeliner for the holiday party…
And there it went… that relentless voice in your head, whispering that you can't. That you shouldn't. That it's going to look foolish, and everyone will disapprove.
You know what we’re talking about: that pesky inner critic. The “I’m not good enough/gonna mess this up/can’t compare/too old-ugly-tired” critic.
73%
of American adults report experiencing negative self-talk from time to time
— Ulta Beauty’s The Joy Study
91%
of people who experience negative self-talk report it’s standing in the way of them experiencing joy.
— Ulta Beauty’s The Joy Study
70%
of people who experience negative self-talk don’t even recognize when they’re actively doing it.
— Ulta Beauty’s The Joy Study
The Opportunity.
Ulta Beauty’s Associates are no strangers to the inner critic — they see their guests battling with the inner critic every day at the store.
We have the opportunity to help people transform their inner voice, one guest at a time.
Whenever I'm shade matching someone and I hand them the little magnifying handheld mirror, they’ll just start looking at themselves and say things like: “this foundation looks amazing, but my wrinkles look bad, my blemishes look bad. I just wish that I had someone else's skin.”
And I'm like, girl, no, I wish you could see yourself the way that I see you. You are absolutely gorgeous.
Ulta Beauty Associate @ Herald Square, NYC
The Insight.
We often don’t recognize how lost we are until someone shows us the way out.
The Jumping Off Point.
We all need a little bit of help in remembering our possibilities.
Introducing:
The Joy Project
Ulta Beauty’s multi-year movement to help people find, embrace, and experience joy.
The first step on our journey? Helping our guests quiet their inner critic.
Recognizing that our Associates are at the frontline of this battle, we worked with best-selling author, motivational speaker, and award-winning podcast host Mel Robbins to create a training program for our associates dubbed “A Toolkit for Joy.”
The series of mini courses taught by Mel Robbins provided all 53,000 associates nationwide the strategies and tangible tools needed to identify their inner critic, interrupt the negative patterns, and inspire themselves and others in the process. Our associates have since, started to share those same practices with guests, ultimately sparking a movement with the potential to reach far beyond Ulta Beauty stores.
The Spot
The Spot
The Social Movement
