HOW SUMMER FRIDAYS MARKETING CREATED A LIFESTYLE CONSUMERS LOVE

LIFESTYLE CONTENT THAT SELLS A FEELING, NOT JUST BEAUTY PRODUCTS

This powerhouse beauty brand has evolved its line of skincare, fragrance, lip products, and makeup to all evoke one emotion: the feeling of summer.

A positive emotion that gives off happiness and warmth that people want to feel in their everyday routines all year long.

Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Ireland, founders of Summer Fridays, share in this interview how much they wanted to incorporate products into people's everyday routines that make it approachable and easy to use, as well as what they wished they had in their own routines.

What makes this brand unique is its ability to not focus on temporary trends but seek to create staple products. The brand is well known for its two hero products including the Jet Lag Mask which launched in 2018 and the Lip Butter Balm Mask which launched in 2020.

Summer Fridays Marketing promotes wellness, self-care, travel, and effortless beauty through soft visuals and beauty routines that capture an aspirational lifestyle.

An effortless lifestyle collab Gap x Summer Fridays loungewear and sleepwear collection. The beauty of this collab is how Summer Friday's understands when and where their products live because skincare and beauty moments can be lived at any point from slow mornings to nighttime routines.

Gap's sleepwear and loungewear support that natural same energy making it an iconic collab blending both beauty and fashion.

The brand centered it's content around cozy mornings in starring the actress Barbie Ferreira dressed in the matching pajama sets that reflected the shades of Summer Fridays lip butter balms.

Spotted at Los Angeles and New York airports back in 2024, Summer Fridays marketing for the Jet Lag mask took over TSA bins and terminals in this airport activation.

This sparked plenty of media attention and went viral as people post photo dumps of essentials in their airport bags. The brand positioned the products as travel essentials made to keep skin hydrated while on the go that can effortlessly be incorporated into everyday lifestyle, even on busy travel days.

THE POWER OF THE 'CLEAN GIRL' AESTHETIC

From slick backs to glowing skin this beauty trend is taking over for a reason. The clean girl aesthetic is something Summer Fridays Marketing embodies with minimalist packaging and products that achieve the effortless 'no makeup makeup look.'

Celebrities such as the iconic Sofia Richie are an avid user of Summer Friday's Lip butter balms as she showcases it in her content as part of her routine. The brand took this as a perfect way to tap in to her luxury soft image and sell customers this lifestyle that they can step into.

Summer Fridays marketing has created a reliable brand identity that reflects their products and values. Customers put trust in the brand and is a go to for achieving the 'clean girl' aesthetic. Campaign and social content are also centered around minimalist makeup looks.

BUILDING CUSTOMER LOYALTY THROUGH AN OBSESSIVE COMMUNITY

Who doesn't love a fun pop up event? To celebrate the launch of their ShadeDrops SPF 50 Mineral Milk Sunscreen, Summer Fridays hosted their very own Beach Club in Miami. With sweet summer treats, limited edition merch, complimentary deluxe samples, totes, popsicles, branded bikes, the cutest photo opportunities, and more!

To bring the experience of the new Sunlit Vanilla perfume to life Summer Fridays partnered with bakeries and cafes to create sweet treats inspired by the vanilla scent at a pop up event in NYC. The first 50 purchases each day got a free mini lip balm and a sample of the perfume when purchasing a baked good. These events capture a whole sensory experience that are memorable.

This is how brands should activate new launches that blend community with experiences. People came to fully experience the feeling of the brand along with the lifestyle that it inspires.

TAPPING INTO SENSORY MARKETING

Sensory marketing is everywhere: scents you can almost smell, textures that look edible, sounds you can recognize instantly.

It's how brands make you feel their products, creating a vivid and memorable experience before ever trying it in person. It's one of the simplest yet most effective ways to grow a deeper connection with an audience and is sure to grab attention.

Summer Fridays uses terms such as "buttery" and pair it with food such as marshmallows, ice cream, and sugar cookies to evoke cravings.

Summer Fridays Marketing for the Toasted Marshmallow Lip Butter Balm is a perfect example of sensory marketing that helps viewers imagine the experience before they even try the product.

The classic pink sugar lip butter balm was also pictured with pink sugar.

The photos from their Instagram social feed is simple yet elevated, warm, and inviting.

THE FUTURE IS LIFESTYLE MARKETING!

The key takeaways here are to know what emotion you want your brand to evoke. Also to use the five senses, like Summer Fridays Marketing did with the lip butter balms, that best fit with the overall brand to create deeper connections with your audience.

Be willing to test, learn, and improve strategies. Create engaging content and know the audience you are targeting well. Make sure to keep up with current trends and use it as an advantage such as the 'clean girl' aesthetic.

Lastly, don't be afraid to think outside the box and create memorable experiences that resonate with your audience.

🪽 Written by Annemarie Nassar