Gwen Stefani is an artist with several personas, but the launch of her new collection with beauty brand Urban Decay had a decidedly rock 'n' roll feel. Held at the event venue Studio 450, the January 7 event celebrated “the rock 'n' roll Gwen—the edgy, badass side of her—which is really what we wanted that event and this part of the collection to represent,” said Courtney Baber, the senior vice president of global marketing at Urban Decay.
About 300 people attended the event—more than the 175 that planners originally expected—making it one of the largest events the brand has ever hosted. Guests included a mix of traditional media, social media stars, makeup artists, retailers, and manufacturers. No Subject produced the event with Urban Decay’s in-house team and help from Alison Brod Public Relations.
Instead of Urban Decay’s signature purple color, the event decor used hot pink, one of Stefani’s favorite hues, along with gold accents and black and white furniture. Custom neon signage added an urban edge to the DJ booth, and a bold graphic print from the product packaging was used throughout the event, from the invitations to the bar front. Stefani herself did not attend the event, but the event saw the debut of a new image of her from the campaign.
“We wanted this event to feel more about the product than just Gwen,” Baber said. “We had already done the Gwen press event back in October where she met bloggers and editors and did selfies and interviews. We wanted this to be a party and a celebration of the collection.”
Adding a jolt of energy was live entertainment from the brass band Lucky Chops, which performed covers from Stefani’s years with No Doubt as well as her solo career.
Overall, the event contributed to Urban Decay’s goal of creating brand awareness. Typically, a campaign can expect half a billion impressions. This campaign, including the event, has generated 1.3 billion impressions on social media, Baber said, which is the biggest response the brand has ever seen.
