Because of Marketing

We’ve noticed a growing movement among beauty brands embracing mature-age models across campaigns, product launches, and influencer partnerships. To explore this shift, we spoke with several brands who have recently worked with these models - uncovering why they view it as a crucial (and long-overdue) gap to fill, and what distinguishes a tokenistic gesture from a genuine shift towards greater age diversity. Charlotte Geoghegan, Head of Brand Marketing at REFY shared with Because of Marketing her thoughts on this growing movement: “It’s no secret the beauty industry hasn’t been geared toward accepting age or ageing and we genuinely think celebrating these truly aspirational women would start a discourse with our younger and more mature community about what a privilege it is to really live life to the fullest and not be held back.” Do you believe this signals a broader movement towards true age inclusivity within the beauty space? Comment below.

Founded in 1969, Gap quickly became a defining American heritage brand, known for delivering campaigns and collaborations that built strong cultural relevance and brand affinity. However, from the mid-2000s, the brand faced decline - with falling sales, store closures, and waning relevance. In a bid to breathe fresh life into the brand, Gap appointed new leadership and reconnected with younger audiences through fresh content and strategic partnerships. From pop-star dance collaborations to partnerships with beloved brands like Sandy Liang and the launch of GapStudio, the brand has successfully reestablished its relevance and reinserted itself into the cultural zeitgeist. This case study uses data from Tracksuit, a brand tracking platform currently monitoring 10,000 of the world’s most iconic brands. Download Tracksuit's Category Disruptors: The Playbook for High-Growth Brands to get more exclusive insights on your fave industries and brands: https://hubs.li/Q03K378R0

Founded in 1962, SOREL made its debut as a specialist in rugged, waterproof boots crafted to withstand the Canadian winter. Six decades on, SOREL remains true to its core DNA, however now on a global scale. Their new ‘For Bold Steps’ campaign nods to the brand’s heritage and reputation for performance, while marking its move into the fashion and streetwear space. From being the first boots on the North Pole to high-end brand collaborations, this campaign signals their ability to explore fashion-forward designs and reach new audiences without compromising their core DNA. Comment your thoughts on this new direction for SOREL Footwear 🥾

Strong product imagery can make or break a launch, and brands are starting to notice. We’ve therefore seen an increase in brands tapping photographers to create a new wave of creative yet polished still life photography— redefining how products show up across social media, EDMs, and websites. This shift allows brands to tell richer stories while keeping the product at the centre of every frame. With that in mind, we’ve pulled together some of our favourite still life creatives who are setting the standard right now. Comment any still life creatives we’ve missed 🤎

“For us, the most important part of building Phia has always been staying as close as possible to our customer." In feature 037 of Conversations Behind The Campaign, we sat down with the founders behind Phia, the AI-powered shopping agent redefining fashion tech. Founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, Phia recently announced its $8 million seed round led by Kleiner Perkins, with participation from high-profile investors including Hailey Bieber, Kris Jenner, Sara Blakely, Michael Rubin, Desiree Gruber, and Sheryl Sandberg. Launched in April 2025, Phia has already attracted 500,000 users, secured over 5,000 direct brand partnerships, and driven tens of millions of dollars in sales. In our conversation, Phoebe and Sophia discuss how they raised angel investment early on, their intention to lean into founder-led storytelling, the key metrics they track through Phia’s campaigns and the importance of creating real-life touch points through their community events. To read the full interview, click on the link below:  https://lnkd.in/eJt7JqwS Interview completed by founder Rachael Higgins Assets co-designed by Kate Edwards 

Founded in 2016 by Braxton Truaxe, The Ordinary set out to disrupt the beauty industry with high-quality, affordable products. Through a transparent, science-led approach to formulation and marketing, it challenged the sector’s overpromises, mixed messaging, and lack of education. The brand has since grown into a multi billion-dollar company, demonstrating the trust and growth that comes from doing things differently. This ranges from their conversation starting billboards, to ‘out of the box’ pop ups and simple, no-nonsense product packaging. This case study uses data from Tracksuit, a brand tracking platform currently monitoring 10,000 of the world’s most iconic brands.

British heritage brand Barbour is weaving its story into the fabric of London Fashion Week with a unique exhibition pop-up on Carnaby Street named Tartan: The Barbour Way. Open to the public from Saturday to Sunday, the pop-up invites all attendees to delve into Barbour’s rich Scottish heritage and discover how the brand’s Ayrshire roots continue to shape its identity today. The exhibition transports its attendees to Ayrshire through immersive storytelling from the British countryside, drawing on the colours and textures that inspired the brand’s renowned Tartan weave. Read the full story on our website: https://lnkd.in/eyDSerq9

J.Crew Presents the New Rollneck™ Generation First introduced in 1988, the timeless staple is reimagined through a vibrant mix of American talent from film, TV, and music, each bringing their own spin on American style. Featuring Benito Skinner, Dominic Sessa, Lukita Maxwell, Maggie Rogers, Molly Gordon, Rome Flynn, and Taylour Paige-Angulo, the campaign captures the nostalgic yet optimistic energy of today’s creative culture. Chief Marketing Officer, Julia Collier adds: “The Rollneck is an icon of our brand: it’s a timeless piece that represents classic American style, but is diverse enough to be worn and styled in so many different ways… we wanted to celebrate that through this cast of characters who individually represent the many facets of our heritage: classic, prep, country, collegiate, and are redefining what those things mean to a new generation of Americans.” What do you think of the campaign? Comment below 🤎

Blank Street has introduced a new brand identity, spotlighted by a redesigned, monospaced wordmark. According to the company website, the new mark “maintains the punchiness of our original while adding a subtle visual dissonance that stops you in your tracks.” The updated logo incorporates a new element, nicknamed the window, which both represents and fills a blank space. They’re also rolling out an extensive secondary palette of greens, each shade named after a different time of day. The palette reflects the way their cups shift in tone under morning, afternoon, and evening light. Global Creative Director Mohammad Rabaa explains: “This transformation was not about doing a 180, it was about becoming more ourselves… this evolution takes the best parts of Blank Street and doubles down, creating a more cohesive brand experience that feels both exciting and familiar.” The rebrand arrives just ahead of the return of their fan-favourite Banana Bread Matcha, which is being celebrated with storefronts across London painted in bright yellow. What do you think of the new identity? Comment below!

We attended LTK’s 13th annual creator conference in Dallas, Texas. The fashion tech company welcomed over 350 creators, brand executives, and marketing leaders convened to discuss the future of influence and trust in a creator economy projected to reach $500 billion by 2027. One theme dominated the three-day event: trust. “Our mission has always been the same: to make creators economically successful…five years from now, I see brands spending the majority of their marketing budgets on creators through LTK. That’s the future of advertising commented Amber Venz Box, CEO and President of LTK. The conference was filled with industry insights, latest product launches, branded touch-points, workshops, brand activations, an awards night and so much more. Read the full story and key takeaways here: https://lnkd.in/eedzsGvT