Yahoo Lifestyle EXCLUSIVE: Lacey Chabert Falls in Love With Philosophy’s Purity Cleanser in Spoof Feel-good Movie Trailer
Philosophy is sending out a message of love at first sight for new and returning consumers — that being its Purity one-step facial cleanser. Ahead of Valentine’s Day, who better than Lacey Chabert, a longtime fan of the product, to offer a boost of star power behind one of the brand’s best-selling products in tandem with her upcoming Hallmark Channel romantic comedy “An Unexpected Valentine,” debuting on Feb. 1.
The Coty-owned brand enlisted Chabert to feature in its latest tongue-in-cheek campaign that spoofs a genre Chabert knows best as the star of over 40 feel-good Hallmark Channel movies. With predictable endings and clichéd tropes, it’s a bit of history repeating for Chabert in Philosophy’s “It Was Always You” satirical trailer, which premieres on Tuesday across the brand and Chabert’s social media channels.
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“With my line of work, I’m always wearing lots of products and makeup and trying different products, so [Purity] is gentle on my skin, but it’s also strong enough to take off all of that makeup, which is so important at the end of the day,” Chabert told WWD in an interview.
In the mock trailer, Chabert stars as a city girl returning to her smalltown roots on a quest to rekindle a love affair with something familiar, only to find it’s a relation that she’s had history with before — Philosophy’s Purity cleanser. The predictable plot line is all too familiar for Chabert, a parallel to her Hallmark Channel career.
“I love the collaboration because obviously I love the romantic comedy genre — I enjoy making these movies so much,” she said. “I feel like it’s always a chance to create a character where people can see part of themselves in the journey of the character. There’s a happy ending, there’s something uplifting and hopeful about these movies. And so, I thought this campaign was clever and adorable.”
After all, the Purity cleanser is a part of her everyday routine off-screen, so it was an apt match to partner with the brand. “I love to wash my face in the morning, it just makes me feel more awake, and I’ll use the Purity one-step facial cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen. I’m very big on sunscreen, and it’s something I’m really trying to teach my daughter — you know, protecting our skin,” Chabert explained. “So, sunscreen and moisturizer, and it’s pretty simple, and then when I’m at work, we’re using a lot of products, a lot of makeup, layering on makeup throughout the day, as we need to reapply. And so, washing my skin at night, applying an oil, moisturizer, and whatever I feel like I need to keep my skin moisturized and as clean as possible.”
Chabert, now 42, has appeal with the millennial demographic — enshrined in the generation’s canon of pop culture as the star of “Mean Girls” and Fox series family drama “Party of Five.” She has a companion in that same generational era in Sarah Michelle Gellar of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer” fame. The latter of which was spoofed by Philosophy last October in a horror movie-inspired campaign starring Gellar.
Courting that demo, which has been a part of Philosophy’s early consumer base, is among its growth strategies. “Millennials grew up watching Lacey and Sarah Michelle Gellar in some of the most iconic roles of the late ‘90s and the early 2000s, and their participation is intentional in tapping into that nostalgia while offering a very fresh, modern take,” said Andrea DiNunzio, general manager of Coty U.S. “The campaign is a way to re-engage this key demographic that may have grown up with us over the years, and then showing them that we still understand their lives, we understand their skin care needs, and we do it with a bit of humor today.”
DiNunzio added that the brand expects the campaign to connect with their existing audience, lapsed consumers and curious customers who are familiar with the brand, but not as familiar with the Purity one-step cleanser. Philosophy’s Purity cleanser has been rated the top hydrating facial cleanser in the U.S., according to Circana’s 2023 Circana/U.S. Prestige Beauty Total Measured Market, Skincare Product Layer Sales report.
“What we’re finding is that it’s multi-generational,” DiNunzio said “Moms are using it with their children. Grandmothers are using it because they love the heritage of the brand. And, of course, millennials as well, which is why we tapped into Lacey and Sarah Michelle.”
Chabert is one example of a multi-generational user. “I’ve been a fan of Philosophy products for years. I mean, my sister and my mom — we all love so many of the products,” Chabert said. “So, when I had the chance to collaborate, I was really excited because I genuinely love these products. It’s been around (for over 25 years) — it’s been throughout all of our lives.”
Beyond partnerships with Chabert and Gellar, and maintaining the core consumer, the brand is leaning into digital-first strategies to grow its audience, including TikTok campaigns. “These elements help us stay rooted in our heritage while evolving to meet the values of our modern skincare user,” DiNunzio said. “We also invest heavily in community building through social media, tapping into influencers who genuinely love our products.”
While the messaging of the brand’s classic Purity product is an ongoing objective, meeting skincare needs broadly — beyond the face — is another category for business growth. Last year, Philosophy introduced the Ultimate Miracle Worker Body Serum, for allover skincare needs. “What we’ve seen is the consumers not just focusing on their face anymore, that they think of all of their skin — their full body — in addition to their face, and they’re concerned about taking care of it and treating it much the same. So, what you’re seeing is an introduction of technologies and ingredients that used to just be on the face is now being used in products on the body. So, we introduced the ultimate Miracle Worker body serum, which is an amazing product, and we’ll be continuing to expand in that category.”
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