“Olaplex’s Ingenious Marketing Gambit: Turning Dupes into Duper Fans”

In the ever-changing universe of beauty brands, the fear of being deceived is a palpable concern. Olaplex, a trailblazing haircare brand, has found itself among the most counterfeited haircare brands on TikTok, with the notorious #olaplexdupe hashtag amassing a staggering 30.4 million views. But here’s where the twist unfolds – Olaplex decided to outwit the dupes, unveiling that the latest TikTok sensation touted as a dupe was, in fact, their very own product – the exceptional No. 3 Hair Perfector.

On September 25, Olaplex executed a marketing masterpiece by introducing “Oladupé,” a fictional product strikingly similar to their best-selling No. 3 Hair Perfector. In the weeks leading up to the grand reveal, the brand conducted a clandestine unboxing campaign. They dispatched bottles of “Oladupé No. 160” (a playful nod to Olaplex’s impressive 160 patents) to over 700 influencers spanning the realms of professional and consumer haircare communities.

The results were nothing short of extraordinary. The campaign ignited over 400 posts from content creators and the wider community, generating an astonishing 21.9 million views under the #Oladupe hashtag. This piqued the curiosity of eager customers, leading them to oladupe.com, where the first 160 registrants were promised a complimentary bottle of Oladupé. However, there was a twist – that cost-free bottle was, in actuality, Olaplex No. 3, cunningly disguised. It was all part of a meticulously orchestrated marketing stratagem.

“Motivated by our vast reach on social media and the distinctive bond we share with our community, we felt it necessary to actively engage in the dialogue surrounding dupes. Our data indicated that Olaplex was the most imitated haircare brand on TikTok,” disclosed Charlotte Watson, Chief Marketing Officer at Olaplex in an interview. “Utilizing social listening tools, we recognized the frequency of these imitations and launched Oladupé to illustrate to consumers that the only entity capable of duplicating Olaplex is Olaplex itself.”

The grand reveal was met with amusement as influencers and professionals who had received the fictional “Oladupé No. 160” admitted to being in on the joke. It was unveiled that all along, Oladupé had been none other than Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector. This ingenious marketing stunt yielded a staggering $1.1 million in global earned media value (EMV), as confirmed by a brand representative.

Olaplex’s clever manoeuver not only showcased their sense of humor but also underscored their unique standing in the beauty industry. It’s a lesson in the potency of social media, ingenuity, and the extraordinary rapport between a brand and its ardent fan base. Olaplex demonstrated that in the realm of dupes and dupers, they stand in a class of their own, capable of transforming a dupe into an avid admirer.

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