Inside Sephora's Taika Waititi-Directed Ode to Skincare Fanatics

So many skincare ads are known for their standard glossy, edgeless aesthetic. Tasked with documenting the chaos and comedy of modern skincare routines in two 30-second spots, TBWA\Chiat\Day LA’s executive creative director, Kirsten Rutherford, set out to embrace bold relatability.

With Oscar-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi on board to direct, the team had licence to toss aside the glossy norms and go unfiltered. When I ask Kirsten what inspired the cheeky tone, she tells me, “The world of beauty can often feel intimidating or overwhelming, and the work that comes out of it can feel standoffish or snooty.” Sephora, however, is a company “committed to inclusivity and belonging” – so a bit of wit felt like the perfect leveller.

Kirsten’s team, in partnership with Sephora, wanted to create something that everyone could relate to “whether they’re a beauty lover or not”. It’s a tactic that began with Sephora’s holiday campaign, ‘Don’t Overthink It’, which satirised the stress of shopping for that perfect gift. But for skincare lovers, the films will strike a specific chord.

Kirsten tells me that real consumer insights underpin the campaign at each turn. “We learned that the struggle is real… [from] the pressure to have a 12-step routine, to the stress of packing too many products for a trip, or the endless (and often conflicting) advice flooding our social feeds,” her team tapped into the common pain points of skincare lovers.

The point being made is that Sephora gets it – if you’re that person endlessly fussing over your face, the brand’s beauty advisors are just as passionate about helping you find what you need. “There’s obviously a little exaggeration in the scenarios we’re showing,” says Kirsten, “but all of our insights are based on real, relatable experiences.”

The team didn’t have to look far for inspiration. “Security at [London] Heathrow is the stuff of skincare lovers’ nightmares. And getting lost down an internet rabbit hole as you try to hunt for the perfect moisturiser can be a head spin and a time suck,” Kristen tells me. These two everyday dilemmas became the comedic setups for the campaign’s hero spots, but the cheekiness didn’t stop there. Sephora’s social media posts wink at the audience with hyper-specific jokes. “TikTokers who hold up the TSA line to photograph their airport security tray aesthetic? We see you” is an example Kirsten gives of one absurd habit the team called out.

“Taika is a dream to work with,” says Kirsten. “He brings the perfect balance of witty humour with a beautifully polished aesthetic.” Kirsten adds that he is also an incredible collaborator, with a team that will jump on any challenge. One big challenge was pulling off the campaign’s magic reveal: a fully stocked Sephora store suddenly appearing to rescue someone in a skincare crisis. Rather than lean on digital tricks, Taika and production designer Ra Vincent built on this idea with an incredible rig that “brought every skincare lover’s dream to life”.

When it comes to standout moments from the shoot, Kirsten has plenty. She says the cast itself added to the fun – the actor playing the airport security agent “had an incredible range that left everyone giggling”. There was also the “good old Kiwi ingenuity” that Taika and his team brought to the set.

A non-negotiable for the team was ensuring that everyone could see themselves in these stories – Kirsten explains that Sephora’s platform revolves around the idea of belonging, and the team was sure to reflect that in the casting. “We’re proud to work with a client partner who is committed to inclusion and impact in all aspects of their business, and that includes the characters we wrote and who we cast to play them.”

Kirsten adds that the brand’s continued inclusivity and impact ethos is something her team shares. This, combined with insight-driven work that disrupts the category through humour, plus the chance to craft it all through Taika’s lens, made the journey “a creative’s dream”.