MarketingNews

How essie Turns Familiar Shade Names Into Its ‘Cheeky Luxury’ Marketing Strategy

With outdoor advertising in four cities and a playful visual identity, essie is using its existing shade portfolio to connect accessible nail beauty with luxury-style storytelling.

Published: Sep 6, 2026 4:22 PM Updated: Sep 6, 2026 4:24 PM

By Jeanel Alvarado

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How essie Turns Familiar Shade Names Into Its ‘Cheeky Luxury’ Marketing Strategy

Image: essie; shared by Antoine Vieu Brasseur.

essie is putting the personalities of its nail-polish shades at the center of its marketing. Its “Color with a Reputation” campaign combines outdoor advertising in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and London with digital and in-person activations, bringing the brand’s “Cheeky Luxury” positioning into public view. The business story is how an accessible beauty brand uses an existing product portfolio to build a more distinctive identity.

A Rebrand Built Around Accessible Aspiration The campaign is part of a global rebrand announced by essie on March 31, 2026, rather than a newly unveiled September initiative.

That announcement set out a rollout across approximately 20 markets, covering visual identity, retail environments, digital storytelling and cultural activations.

In a recent update connecting the campaign to back-to-school and back-to-work routines, Antoine Vieu Brasseur, Global Deputy General Manager of Next Big Brands in L’Oréal’s Consumer Products Division, described the positioning as “Elevated nail beauty with a twist.” He credited Melanie Ioanna and her team with executing the rebrand.

Ioanna, essie’s Global Brand Senior Vice President and worldwide brand lead, outlined the ambition in the March announcement as bringing more creativity and cultural relevance to nail beauty while retaining the brand’s identity…

essie Berry Naughty campaign visual featuring a burgundy pedicure

essie Muchi Muchi pink nail polish bottle surrounded by pastel-colored sweets

essie Sugar Daddy campaign visual with a ring-adorned hand holding branded card props

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