L’Oréal Paris celebrates 28 years at Cannes with global ambassadors

Makeup, hair, brand ambassadors, red carpet—behind the glamour of Cannes lies a well-oiled business machine. For L’Oréal Paris, a partner for 28 years, the film festival delivers powerful returns in brand image and global sales.

L’Oréal Paris maintains a strong presence on the Croisette, especially at the iconic Martinez Hotel, where the brand takes over an entire floor. There, a team of around 30 makeup artists and 15 hairstylists delivered 2,000 beauty sessions over 15 days, including for brand ambassadors such as Viola Davis, Jane Fonda and Elle Fanning.

“We don’t have power for the hairdryers yet… oh well, we’ll do updos,” joked a hairstylist on Saturday, improvising during an unexpected regional power outage.

While jeweler Chopard, another official partner, brings luxury aligned with the Palme d’Or, Cannes serves a different role for L’Oréal Paris. “It’s a mass-market brand, but associating with Cannes gives it a luxury image—even if it’s not technically a luxury brand,” explained Julie El Ghouzzi, author of “Manuel du luxe,” in an interview with AFP.

“The Cannes Film Festival is very rich in terms of image,” added Laurence Lim, head of the agency Cherry Blossoms Intercultural Branding. “It’s the glamour linked to culture—something the Met Gala or the Oscars don’t quite offer.”

“A feminist can also be beautiful!” declared Jane Fonda to AFP. “I feel very comfortable at Cannes with L’Oréal Paris. It’s a brand I truly respect. Next year will mark 20 years that I’ve been with them,” she said.

Yet beyond red carpet beauty, Cannes has become a strategic content engine for the brand. “It’s a moment for all participating brands to create content for social media,” noted El Ghouzzi.

“What has changed over the last 15 years is the digitalization of our profession,” confirmed Delphine Viguier-Hovasse, head of L’Oréal Paris, to AFP.

5 billion views

“Cannes offers 5 billion opportunities to see L’Oréal Paris on social media,” she said. While a team of around 10 manages social media during the festival, much of the content is prepared in advance.

“When Alia Bhatt, Indian actress and L’Oréal ambassador, stepped onto the red carpet, the lipstick, foundation and hairspray used for her makeup were already available on Indian e-commerce platform Nykaa,” explained the brand’s chief.

The strategy paid off. “On Alia Bhatt’s day, we saw an 80% increase in makeup sales in India on Nykaa,” she said. The actress has over 86 million Instagram followers.

In terms of Media Impact Value (MIV)—a metric from Launchmetrics that assigns a monetary value to brand visibility—Chopard led during the 2024 Cannes Festival with $32.3 million in MIV, followed by L’Oréal Paris with $28.7 million, and Dior with $26.8 million.

However, the strategy comes with challenges. “The risk,” said Laurence Lim, “is the growing importance of national pride—especially in countries like China and India. The celebrities highlighted at Cannes are mostly American.”

She added that recent missteps, like the 2024 Met Gala in New York, were “heavily criticized in India because Bollywood celebrities present were ignored.”

“What matters isn’t what happens at Cannes, but the event’s resonance,” said Alexis Perakis-Valat, general manager of L’Oréal’s consumer products division.

He noted that the L’Oréal Group “achieved 50% growth last year in emerging markets (Latin America, the Middle East, India…).”

In 2024, L’Oréal Paris reported sales exceeding €7 billion, a 9.2% year-on-year increase. The broader L’Oréal Group surpassed €43 billion in sales.

By Katell PRIGENT
Cannes, May 25, 2025 (AFP)