L'OREAL PARIS, Because you're worth it
L’Oréal can look back on over 100 years of expertise. The history of L’Oréal began with the creation of one of the first hair dyes invented by the scientist Eugène Schueller which lay the foundation for being today’s world’s leading cosmetics company. Until today the manufacturer steadily pursued the quest for beauty with the overall mission to make it available for as many people as possible. This endless quest is based on four cornerstones:
- Strong innovation in terms of products
- Excellence regarding safety and quality
- Diversity in product range and cultural background of their customers
- Purpose linked to ethics, social and environmental responsibility
Cultural Branding
Cultural Branding
L’Oréal paid close attention to the diversity of customer needs especially those influenced by cultural background and usage habits in order to offer the best products possible. In the course of time L’Oréal set a special focus on the needs of woman and became a brand associated with emancipation, women’s self-confidence and empowerment – through the means of style.
This led finally to their most famous tagline - Because I'm Worth It®.
A WORLWIDE FAMOUS COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
These four words are bound to the time of their creation and yet they have proven to be timeless. Because they precisely represent what the brand stands for and what women aspire to be.
Their creation took place in times of a new spirit of feminism, in 1973, when women paid more and more attention to themselves and their standing in society. The tagline has been created by nobody else than a young, unconventional and independent woman: A copywriter called Ilon Specht at McCann Erickson. She developed a new advertisement for L’Oréal which is characterized by the storytelling from a woman's point of view - a groundbreaking move. This ad ended with the now famous signature line: Because I'm Worth It®!
It struck immediately by expressing everything what a woman thought at this time - self-confidence, decision-freedom, style. It got translated in languages all over the world to serve women as a life philosophy. This tagline even became the subject of a 1999 New Yorker article entitled 'True Colors' written by Malcolm Gladwell. The author states that these four words over the time have become the social fabric of L’Oréal, but also a social meaning for women. Nowadays, 80% of women recognize and respond to this phrase. In 1997, as an extension of the tagline’s celebration of a woman’s worth and connect it to social care for women, L'Oréal Paris partnered with The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) to raise money and awareness in the fight against ovarian cancer. Moreover, to boost the image of an independent woman the company supports the “Women in Need” program and promotes women in science and education.
In order to utterly celebrate this tagline, the “Women Of Worth” program has been created in the USA which takes place for the 6th time in 2011. This program and award honors the extraordinary service of women in their communities. Those women represent L’Oreal’s created image of an inspiring, outstanding and beautiful woman with an unbreakable spirit. The election is taken by votes of women all over the country in order
to build a community and the spirit of togetherness.
Nowadays, women all over the world celebrate this tagline in their own way. It has become iconic in the female society. Please find bellow a best of "40 years of Because I'm Worth It®" - an homage made by a fan:
One also can observe the true meaning of this tagline on facebook where thousands of women exchange and express their individual interpretation and connection to it. Here is a best of their statements:
“It means everything to me. i am who i am because i always told myself BECAUSE IM WORTH IT.”
“Women is the most beautiful creation of God and i am a future women so i worth it :)”
“I worked at Wal Mart in my 20's and got a shirt that was white and had "Loreal, Because I'm Worth It" written in purple. I lost it in a divorce. I want another one!!!!!!!”
“Self love & self respect. They go hand in hand”
“Im Worth it because Im Stylish* :D”
“It means that as women, we are born valuable and should honor that, rather than waiting to be assigned value by another person, status or thing.”
“It means every woman is entitled to take care of her skin, hair and present herself to the world in a way that shows her beauty within.”
“To me, it means: no apologies for living, loving, giving, and sharing myself with friends and family.....I'm worth the pampering I enjoy from L'Oreal products!”
“I worth it cuz I am a daughter , a sister, a wife n a most of all I am a mom, And all these relations makes me worth it ,loving life”
So what does it mean for you?
Sources: http://www.loreal-paris.com/, http://www.womenofworth.com/honorees/honorees_2010.aspx
Document: L'Oréal Fieldtrip Germany June 2009
Document: LOréal Executive Summary 2010
Document: L'Oréal Fieldtrip Germany June 2009
Document: LOréal Executive Summary 2010
