Drew Pizzini
has a message for you.
The Evolution
OF A BRAND
In the early 2000s, mineral makeup was big news. Shoppers were “going green”, and “natural” was the buzzword du jour. Consumer culture was on a health kick, and enterprising beauty brands were quick to capitalize. The climate was right for a new breed of makeup that left artificial fillers and additives in the dust—literally.
Made from crushed mineral pigments, loose powders were an instant hit among health conscious consumers and those with sensitive skin. However, there was a caveat: loose powders left a mess. The opportunity was ripe for a mineral makeup brand to break the mold, and in 2002, Pür Minerals unveiled its groundbreaking pressed mineral foundation to an eager public.
Promising “beauty—pür and simple”, Pür’s 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup encouraged women everywhere to “skip the mess and go pressed.” The foundation quickly became a top seller on TV shopping channels and, later, in retail locations worldwide. However, the secret was out, and a wave of pressed mineral imitators soon flooded the market. Pür would have to reinvent itself if it hoped to survive.
The answer appeared in 2011. Technology now existed to create stable, powder forms of advanced skincare ingredients. If Pür could somehow combine pressed mineral makeup with skincare benefits, it could reestablish itself as a beauty innovator. It was time to give the pressed mineral pioneer a makeover.
As Senior Copywriter for Pür, it was up to me to create a compelling brand story centered on good-for-skin ingredients with patently unsexy names (like waltheria indica extract and ceramide AP). Working with brand and marketing management, we created a tagline that would cement the brand’s new direction: The Complexion Authority.
With a new tagline for a cornerstone, I began transforming the brand’s message from mineral makeup simplicity to skin-perfecting beauty with a scientific edge. “Beauty—pür and simple” now had “the power to improve your skin’s appearance.” Consumers and retailers took notice, and the revamped brand once more became a top seller—this time on new shelves from KOHL’S to Marks & Spencer stores in the UK.
Nearly a decade after shaking the mineral makeup industry, Pür had shown that it was more than just a pretty face, and shoppers everywhere fell in love with the brand all over again.