Dive Brief:
- L'Oréal brand Garnier has teamed with “Love Island” star TJ Palma for a new campaign that promotes its Fructis Curl Construct Creation Mousse, according to details shared with Marketing Dive.
- Key to the campaign is Palma’s fictitious appointment as Garnier’s new social media marketing consultant, which sees him mistakenly develop a moose campaign instead of a mousse campaign. Garnier on Wednesday teased the mix-up on Instagram with context-free posts themed around the animal.
- Garnier will continue its attempt to drive organic buzz via online and offline activations, including paparazzi-style sightings of Palma in a moose costume and a video modeled after “The Office.” Full campaign elements will begin to roll out mid-May.
Dive Insight:
Garnier is leaning into wordplay and social chatter as it looks to introduce its newly repackaged mousse to a younger generation of consumers. Staging headscratching moments to spark consumer curiosity online before following up those stunts with brand content has been leveraged by other companies like CeraVe and Raisin Bran. When done right, the strategy has proven to be an effective way to generate organic buzz and blur the lines between entertainment and marketing.
At the center of Garnier’s campaign is Palma, a former “Love Island” contestant who has garnered attention for his curly hair routine. A video that launched Thursday apes the style of “The Office,” tracking Palma’s appointment as a Garnier social media marketing consultant who is tasked with developing a campaign backing the brand’s mousse. Palma misinterprets the assignment, putting all of his energy behind a moose campaign, but redeems himself with a get-ready-with-me video showcasing how he uses Garnier’s product.
To build suspense around what the moose slip-up could mean, Garnier earlier this week teased the campaign with an initial post on Instagram featuring a moose with no context. The brand at the same time placed flyers around New York City asking community members if they’ve seen the moose. The following day, Garnier planned paparazzi-style sightings of Palma in a moose costume in the city.
Additional activations for the campaign are planned for Friday, including guerilla-style sampling in downtown Manhattan that will see the brand dole out full-size products. Organic and paid creator content featuring the Garnier “moose” in New York will run through May 17. Influencers tapped for the effort include Mia Calabrese from the reality series “Summer House” and content creator Just Jazzy.
A focus on social could help Garnier resonate with digitally native Gen Zers while the tie-up with Palma sees the brand inserting itself into pop culture. Brands ranging from Procter & Gamble’s Herbal Essences to McDonald's and Mars Petcare brand Temptations have similarly teamed with “Love Island” cast members for recent efforts.
The latest push from Garnier comes as the U.S. hair care market is estimated to grow from $20.98 billion this year to $25.9 billion by 2031, according to market researcher Mordor Intelligence. Last year, mass products dominated the hair care market with a 78.1% share. An interest in more affordable hair products could grow as consumers contend with economic uncertainty and rising prices. The Garnier Fructis Curl Construct Creation Mousse retails for $5.99.
Garnier parent L'Oréal reported Q1 2026 revenue of 12.15 billion euros, or roughly $14.2 billion, a 3.6% year-over-year increase. The company’s hair and fragrance businesses were credited with driving growth.c
