L’Oréal Professionnel creates avatars with inspired hairstyles for brand expression in the metaverse

Individuality in a digital world.

L’Oréal Professionnel has partnered with Wunderman Thompson to become the first hairstylist brand to launch direct-to-avatar products across multiple online marketplaces.

The future of consumerism lies in virtual products and, as digital ownership rises and the potential of the metaverse as a place of mass audiences becomes clear—brands are beginning to realise the opportunity for brand expression within the new digital space.

In November 2022, L’Oréal Professionnel became the first hair brand to enter the metaverse with five hair looks available on Ready Player Me. In collaboration with a CGI artist, Evan Rochette, the brand created diverse virtual hair looks for cross-gaming avatars. Thanks to the success of this first launch, with hairstyles ranked in the top 5 of the most downloaded looks on the platform, the second launch will go one step further, making them the first brand to launch virtual products across multiple virtual marketplaces at the same time.

L’Oréal Professionnel, in partnership with creative agency Wunderman Thompson, has launched ‘Gravitas’—five larger-than-life hair looks that offer more opportunities for metaverse gamers to fully express themselves. Once again the brand will partner with 3D artist Evan Rochette and will also join forces with renowned French hair artist, Charlie Le Mindu, to drive real-world interest in the campaign.

In addition to Ready Player Me, the world-leader in avatars for multi-app use where the first launch of hair looks took place, Gravitas will be available on Robox as well as Zepeto, giving the campaign a projected reach of 234m and over 40m games combined.

Justin Peyton, global head of emerging channels at Wunderman Thompson, comments: “In our daily lives, we all aim to express our individuality through appearance and style, and this will be no different in the virtual and gaming worlds where a generation of people are spending more and more of their time. It’s a privilege to work with pioneers like L’Oreal Professionnel and to help them define beauty and style through hair, making self-expression across worlds accessible, and gravity defying.”