DIOR Launch Industry-First WhatsApp Campaign with Global Ambassador Jisoo

180 have worked with French luxury brand DIOR (Parfums Christian Dior) to launch an industry-first campaign with brand ambassador and global icon BLɅϽKPIИK’s Jisoo, giving @diorbeauty’s 9.6million Instagram followers access to four days of exclusive content and conversation over WhatsApp. It’s a customer-experience first at the crossroads of customer service, community management, and brand content.

To mark the release of the new DIOR Addict shine lipstick, DIOR, alongside 180’s specialist luxury unit 180 LUXE, collaborated with global communications platform Infobip to release this innovative omnichannel experience, the first time a brand has used WhatsApp to empower conversations with a brand ambassador. It is the second stage of the social media and innovation support provided by 180 for the launch of DIOR Addict, after the release of the Shine Attitude filter on Instagram.

Customers are invited to become part of the experience via @diorbeauty’s Instagram story, where Jisoo has offered followers the chance to join her ‘exclusive WhatsApp group’. From there, customers are taken to a dedicated landing page where they can sign up to engage with Jisoo’s chatbot over WhatsApp ahead of the new DIOR Addict shine lipstick launch. 

Members choose the type of content they want to receive, from themed videos to exclusive behind the scenes footage of Jisoo’s life as a DIOR ambassador. They will also be sent exclusive links to purchase the new DIOR Addict shine lipstick and given bespoke access to the brand’s new Instagram filter. 

180 developed the bespoke communications strategy for DIOR and Jisoo, delivering both celebrity marketing and management using messenger apps. The Whatsapp group is a unique approach, which both taps into Jisoo’s massively engaged community and delivers a strengthened brand story, offering fans a bespoke experience directly within their messenger app, while allowing them to share various aspects of the campaign, from special videos with Jisoo to the AR experience. 

Results are already impressive. The Whatsapp group has already reached its maximum capacity and memes are already going viral across all social networks, repurposing some of the first content released. This behaviour has also created strong expectations as Jisoo only reveals a couple of content and experiences each day.

Arthur Poulain, digital innovation and strategic planning manager at DIOR said: “This campaign has pushed the boundaries of how luxury beauty and technology must collaborate to deliver innovative experiences across the channels we know our customers love. Using WhatsApp meant we could think outside the box in terms of how we engage our dedicated Instagram community, giving them the opportunity to chat to Jisoo like they would a friend and empowering them to choose the content they want to see next.” 

Laurent Francois, managing partner of 180 Social and 180 LUXE said: “This innovative approach opens new boundaries in terms of influencers and celebrity marketing, while allowing precise and targeted storytelling. It’s the fans of Jisoo and DIOR who pick their favourite content and experience. The conversational strategy finds its true meaning on Whatsapp, and opens strong possibilities in terms of ecommerce as well. For brands, WhatsApp is the next storytelling frontier, arguably one of the most vital tools in a brand’s repertoire.”

The campaign is being managed through Infobip’s WhatsApp Business solution, enabling DIOR to build a series of automated conversations and journeys as Jisoo with the help of chatbots. The rich channel means communication can include images, videos, files, web links, audio files and buttons to bring messages to life and keep customers engaged. 

Adrian Benic, chief product officer at Infobip, added: “Our role is to re-define how communications can help bring brand stories to life and this partnership with DIOR Beauty is the prime example of how channels like WhatsApp deliver this. This has been one of the most exciting campaigns we’ve ever worked on, using every element of the channel’s rich capabilities to deliver something truly unique and extraordinary. We hope this inspires other brands to take their digital engagement to new heights.”