10:11am
Article By: Madison Morgan, Senior Marketing & Communication Strategist
If you’re trying to connect with Gen Z or Millennials and haven’t heard of Alix Earle, it may be time to start scrolling on TikTok. From her GRWM (get ready with me) videos and high-profile brand collabs to launching the margarita brand SipMARGS and appearing in Super Bowl commercials, Alix is dominating the influencer space.
This week, she expanded her empire into a new vertical: hair care.
Pantene (yes, the drugstore brand your mom probably introduced you to) is partnering with Alix Earle. But this isn’t your standard influencer collaboration.
What I’m loving most about this collaboration? How Pantene stayed true to its brand while executing one of the most relevant and integrated campaigns I’ve seen this year.
In late December 2024, Alix posted a viral TikTok saying her hair felt softer than ever after using an old bottle of expired Pantene. The post took off, with over 614,000 likes, 5,000 comments, and 10,000+ saves and shares. The comments were filled with praise for drugstore brands, critiques of overpriced shampoos, and even hairdressers supporting the cost-effective alternatives.
Pantene saw an opportunity and jumped on it. They turned the moment into a full-blown product launch: The Unexpired Collection, an exclusive shampoo and conditioner set inspired by Alix’s viral video. The campaign had a huge roll-out, wide reach, and direct connection to Alix’s TikTok.
For just 24 hours, customers could buy the duo in custom bottles featuring Alix’s exact words: “How come when I come home and use my unexpired Pantene my hair feels softer than it has ever felt?!”
Pantene took a fully integrated marketing approach to this campaign, considering not only where their audience spends time, but how they can get the most impact and reach in a 24 hour period.
This campaign is exciting for a marketing strategist (if you can’t tell), but there are also great takeaways for any business as you consider your next campaign and how to connect with your audience.
Pantene didn’t force a moment—they followed it. Alix created organic buzz through her viral TikTok, and Pantene capitalized on it. In an oversaturated $106.9 billion hair care industry, they reinserted themselves into the Gen Z and Millennial conversation with a compelling, cost-accessible offer.
While luxury shampoos can run $30–$50 per bottle, the Unexpired Collection retails for $18.99 (for two 21.5oz bottles) and is available at places like Target, Walmart, CVS, and Amazon. That’s powerfully disruptive, especially when validated by one of social media’s most influential voices.
Marketing question to consider: Is there a trending conversation your brand could authentically tap into right now?
Exclusivity drives action. This was a textbook scarcity play, and it worked. The Unexpired Collection launched at 11:00 am on April 30, and the message was clear:
Alix’s collection expires today.
By 11:01 am on May 1, it was gone. The 24-hour window created urgency, scarcity, and FOMO – three of the most powerful motivators in marketing psychology.
Marketing question to consider: How can you create a meaningful sense of urgency with your next product, offering, or campaign?
Alix Earle is most popular with Gen Z and younger Millennials. Do you know where these audiences spend their time?
Spoiler alert: it’s not Facebook.
Pantene kept their audience in mind and focused their time, energy, and effort on platforms that would resonate. They also considered what types of outlets would have the most impact, so they created a robust, integrated marketing campaign that incorporated digital billboard placements across New York and PR boxes to other influencers.
At Brasco ///, we’ve seen similar success with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA). In recent years, we’ve shifted our focus to reach Gen Z and Millennials across North Carolina, pivoting with the industry towards video shorts, integrating serialized content, and incorporating trends (like interviewing people on the street) as they felt aligned with the brand.
A question to consider: Where does your target audience spend time, and are you showing up there consistently?
This is the real magic of the campaign. Pantene didn’t reinvent itself – they remained consistent with their brand. The color palette, tone of voice, imagery, and product are all aligned with the brand.
Pantene found a way to reach a younger audience without altering its brand or tone of voice. We have seen this happen with other brands, like Nutter Butter, where they alter their brand personality to reach a new audience. If you’re not ready to shift your identity to solely reach a new audience, it can create confusion and a disjointed brand presence for your current customers.
(Especially when you consider that the top question on Google when you search “Nutter Butter” is “What is up with Nutter Butter?”)
Through this collaboration with Alix Earle, Pantene managed to keep its brand identity intact while increasing its reach and impact with a new audience.
A question to consider: How can your brand reach new audiences without losing its voice?
While you could only enter to win Alix Earle’s Unexpired Collection for 24 hours, Pantene is still offering the same product with different packaging. You can buy the Pantene Pro-V Miracles Extreme Damage Hair Recovery shampoo and conditioner at your local store today.
Their website remains focused on the Unexpired Collection (with all pages redirecting to the campaign landing page), they link to retailers where you can purchase the product, and they highlight the main point of the campaign, “it’s still better than the luxury stuff according to Alix.”
I’m assuming after a week or so we’ll see their social media repopulate with old posts and the website return back in full. But for 24 glorious hours, they were fully, strategically focused on connecting with Gen Z and younger Millennials who follow Alix Earle and don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for shampoo.
I love seeing integrated marketing campaigns in action, and it brings me a weird amount of excitement to see them and create them. If you want to brainstorm how your brand can maintain its identity, push the boundaries, and connect with new audiences, let’s talk!