Maybelline is taking beauty marketing to the streets – quite literally. With a bold, disruptive campaign rolling out across Toronto, the brand is shifting beyond conventional launches to deliver an unapologetically hands-on experience that’s immersive, tactile, and unforgettable.
The campaign brings interactive Wildposting® to life, transforming ordinary city walls into unexpected beauty sampling stations. Full-size mascara tubes cling to a poster in a strategic Toronto location – evolving static out-of-home advertising into a mobile beauty counter. It’s the kind of multi-sensory, high-impact activation that redefines how beauty meets public spaces.
Toronto Streets Get a Mascara Makeover with Maybelline’s OOH Campaign
Picture this: you’re walking through a bustling Toronto street when a striking Maybelline poster catches your eye. At the center, a sleek mascara wand is suspended – subtle, yet impossible to ignore. You’re drawn in, pause, and just like that, a routine moment transforms into a beauty discovery.
For four weeks, a Toronto hot spot will light up with this fearless, guerrilla-style street activation. It’s designed for the city’s most dynamic space – where striking visuals and unforeseen interaction converge to create buzz-worthy moments in the wild.
It’s more than just eye-catching media. It’s mascara that meets you where you are – ready to be touched, tested, and tried. That kind of instant access transforms curiosity into trial and turns a glance into genuine engagement.
This campaign is the product of a seamless collaboration between GroupM Canada Inc., WPP Media, leading strategic planning and media selection, and Grassroots Advertising®, orchestrating guerrilla execution, installation, and on-the-ground delivery.
What drives the entire effort is a singular goal: to boost both visibility and trial of Maybelline’s standout mascara by placing it directly in the hands of curious passersby.
Redefining Wildposting®: From Outdoor Edge to Audience Engagement
Wildposting® has long been a staple in fashion, music, and beauty – dominating city spaces with high-volume, low-cost, high-impact visuals. But Maybelline is taking the format to the next level.
What makes this campaign different is its interactive twist: a poster that not only advertises but delivers. The Wildposting® is cleverly designed to include built-in product samples, merging gritty street visuals with tangible product access.
The result? A transformation of static displays into active, engaging brand touchpoints – something few have attempted, and even fewer have effectively executed.
Why Guerrilla Sampling Works: Driving Connection, Engagement, and Conversion
Guerilla sampling – the act of placing product directly in the path of everyday life – works because it activates multiple consumer drives:
- Sensory Interaction
It’s one thing to see, another to feel. Physical interaction imprints memory deeper, drives curiosity, and encourages brand recall - Charm & Connection
No one expects to find a beauty sample on a city poster – that unanticipated surprise, paired with a thoughtful freebie, sparks emotion and builds goodwill toward the brand - Shareable Moments
From influencers to everyday passersby, the unforeseen sight of a mascara sample hanging from a poster begs to be captured. It’s a social-ready moment – perfect for feeds, stories, and sparking authentic word-of-mouth - Instant Product Experience
With beauty, use can be immediate. A passerby can see, apply, and love – then maybe buy. That fast track from awareness to trial is gold.
For a brand like Maybelline, known for performance and mascaras that deliver dramatic results, getting the product directly onto eyelashes is the most persuasive marketing tool possible. The experience feels genuine, and the results truly speak for themselves.
Interactive OOH Case Studies: Brands Winning with Sampling Posters
Maybelline’s campaign taps into a growing wave of out-of-home activations that go beyond mere interruption – they invite real interaction. Consider these examples:
- Hero Cosmetics attaches their mighty pimple patches directly to posters, turning an acne brand’s message into an immediate, usable solution.
- WCLC uses scratch-and-sniff posters that smell like dill pickle, creating a sensory experience that brings their lotto tickets to life.
- Indigenous Tourism Alberta is fixing comic books to their posters, offering a story to engage with and promote cultural exploration.
Each interactive out-of-home ad – especially those designed as Wildposting® with direct built-in giveaways – proves a broader truth. When media becomes part of the experience, not just the backdrop, it captures attention, creates emotional resonance, and leaves something real in people’s hands.
Grassroots Advertising: Experts in Guerrilla Marketing & Wildposting® Execution
None of this succeeds without expert execution on the ground – and that’s where Grassroots Advertising® shines. Navigating guerrilla marketing’s unique challenges – from permits and public regulations to production limits and urban logistics – demands precision and experience.
Grassroots® brings that expertise: securing prime poster locations, designing installation-safe fixtures, maintaining product integrity, and flawlessly managing street-level production. Their skill lies in orchestrating controlled spontaneity – delivering surprising, on-brand moments while minimizing risk and maximizing reach. This operational mastery transforms creative ideas into tangible, unforgettable impact.
Future of Interactive OOH: AR, Sustainable Sampling & More
This campaign is more than a standout activation – it’s a preview of what an interactive out-of-home ad can become.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s possible moving forward:
- QR-Enhanced Posters that let people scan for post-sampling offers, tutorials, or rewards
- Augmented Reality (AR) Overlays, unlocking layered visuals or experiences through the smartphone camera
- Sustainably-Minded Sampling, using biodegradable mascara tubes or recycled-style packaging
- Smart Collectibles, like scan-to-claim systems or share-to-experience mechanics, capture digital data from physical actions
For Maybelline, this campaign marks a transformation – from one-way messaging to multi-sensory engagement.
Beyond Advertising: Turning OOH Into Real Brand Experiences
Maybelline, GroupM Canada Inc., WPP Media, and Grassroots Advertising® haven’t just rolled out another campaign – they’ve reinvented how beauty meets the city. By turning everyday posters into interactive, unexpected gifts, they’ve created moments that surprise, delight, and connect.
This isn’t static advertising. It’s a moving experience. A chance to touch, try, and take home a little piece of beauty – right from the streets of Toronto.
So next time you’re passing by, don’t just look – engage. In today’s crowded marketing world, the brands that truly stand out aren’t the ones that shout the loudest, but the ones that invite you in and leave you with something real.
