L'Oréal expands partnership with Wavemaker in EMEA

L’Oréal International Distribution division, which markets brands including Lancôme, Giorgio Armani Beauty, Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, Ralph Lauren, Maybelline New York, Diesel, and Garnier, has appointed Wavemaker as its media buying and planning agency for the EMEA region.

The appointment is for a three-year term that starts in September 2024 and follows a six-month competitive process supported by the independent media and marketing consultancy Ebiquity.

The review was called to consolidate the media activity for the L’Oréal division into one agency and also includes its Amazon campaigns.

Wavemaker won the business in a final competition against OMD and means a further expansion of the L’Oréal-Wavemaker partnership which includes 30+ markets across the world.

Wavemaker has been tasked with supporting the L’Oréal team to positively provoke and further accelerate growth across key territories.

The global media consultancy remit comprises all media buying and planning, coordinated from one central Wavemaker hub, with digital handled centrally and offline locally. Wavemaker will also support L’Oréal with the development of a strategic vision through effective thought leadership content.

L’Oréal International Distribution global chief digital and marketing officer Julie Hoareau said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Wavemaker global team to support the rapid growth of the business. We were looking to simplify and centralise our operation with a partner who could show agility, expertise, and team spirit.

“We very much appreciated Wavemaker’s enthusiasm, proposals, responsiveness, and creativity. What made them stand out from the competition was their creativity and the chemistry we felt with them as people.”

Wavemaker global CEO and president of GroupM clients Toby Jenner added: “Our ability to attract and retain L’Oréal, the world’s third largest advertiser, makes me extremely proud.

“Our ability to operate as a cohesive and collaborative extension of their own team makes all the difference for this relationship. We’re looking forward to working closely with the team to further accelerate their global growth.”