SEPHORA Canada Celebrates Multifaceted Beauty With The Launch Of Its Local #WithSephora Campaign

For more media materials, please visit:  https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8370651-with-sephora/

TORONTO, July 30, 2018 /CNW/ - SEPHORA Canada is celebrating beauty in all of its forms with the new #WithSephora local campaign. As part of SEPHORA Canada's Market Intensification plan, the campaign is a visual story showcasing a powerful mosaic of beauty through the eyes of sixteen local Toronto and Montreal individuals. The collaborators were chosen for their unique personalities, their authenticity and approachability, their passions and their inspiring journeys. #WithSephora, created in collaboration with creative agency, VIRTUE Worldwide, is a fully integrated 360° campaign that will unfold in both cities throughout the summer.

TiKA, Toronto Musician/Cultural Curator. Beauty is unconditional love. "I’m a Black, Queer-Identifying, plus-sized woman in the music industry. The idea that I have stretch marks, dimples or rolls was not encouraged and even for some seen as repulsive. It wasn’t until I fell in love with another Black woman that I realized that it was impossible for me to not love myself or accept the reality that I’m indeed beautiful despite my "societal imperfections and/or flaws. I appreciate the evolution of Sephora and wanting to be more inclusive and culturally diverse of different women from various walks of life and change and encourage the dated guise of societal standards of beauty." (CNW Group/Sephora)

Grece Ghanem, Montreal Fashion and Travel Enthusiast. Beauty doesn’t age, beauty changes. "Sephora gave me the chance to inspire women of all ages and professional backgrounds by showing them that beauty does not disappear with age. Beauty changes and we should embrace it; not fear it!" (CNW Group/Sephora)

Elise Gatschene, Toronto Model and Standup Comedian. Beauty is also in your imperfections. "This campaign is such a wonderful opportunity to celebrate people for who they are and not just what they look like! Sephora spent so much time listening to our stories and getting to know us. It was refreshing to participate in a campaign that was so inclusive!" (CNW Group/Sephora)

Sarahmée, Montreal Urban Artist. Beauty means there’s room for everyone. "I like the idea of Sephora showcasing local Montreal individuals through their #WithSephora story. Sephora is globally recognized and has always had a message of diverse beauty." (CNW Group/Sephora)

Through a hyper-localized approach and execution, SEPHORA Canada is featuring these diverse collaborators at the forefront of the campaign, pairing them with empowering #WithSephora tag lines highlighting their personal stories under four distinct banners: #WithSephora We Dare, We Inspire, We Slay, and We Explore. The visuals will be featured on billboards, transit stations and shelters, and through the beauty retailer's social media and experiential channels across the urban centers.

"This Canadian campaign brings to life a celebration of unique and personal beauty. We are opening up the conversation of embracing self-expression through powerful visuals and local stories," says Deborah Neff, SEPHORA Canada's Vice President of Marketing. "Every day we get inspired by our clients and we want this campaign to be a window showcasing that beauty is for them to define and explore."

"VIRTUE's collaboration with Sephora is about beauty at street-level," says Badr El Fekkak, VP and Managing Director of VIRTUE Worldwide in Canada. "These collaborators were selected because they are inspiring, everyday individuals who help make their city and its culture truly beautiful."

The sixteen collaborators:

Toronto:
TiKA | Instagram: @tikathecreator	Elise Gatschene | Instagram: @lisie__g
Judith Bradley | Instagram: @judithmariabradley	Ivory Towers | Instagram: @_ivorytowers
Mila | Instagram: @milavictoria	Ankita | Instagram: @aankita.b
Nate Matthew | Instagram: @beautybynate	Shannae Ingleton Smith | Instagram: @torontoshay
Montreal:
Grece Ghanem | Instagram: @greceghanem	Sarahmée | Instagram: @sarahmeeo
Keesha Chung | Instagram: @keeshachung	Sarah-Maude Beauchesne | Instagram: @lesfourchettes
Chloé Dumont | Instagram: @chloedumont	Imane B. | Instagram: @peace.upon.faith
Alana and Maddie Alper | Instagram: @alpersisters

What #WithSephora means for a few of the collaborators:

TiKA, Toronto Musician/Cultural Curator

Beauty is unconditional love.

"I'm a Black, Queer-Identifying, plus-sized woman in the music industry. The idea that I have stretch marks, dimples or rolls was not encouraged and even for some seen as repulsive. It wasn't until I fell in love with another Black woman that I realized that it was impossible for me to not love myself or accept the reality that I'm indeed beautiful despite my "societal imperfections and/or flaws". I appreciate the evolution of Sephora and wanting to be more inclusive and culturally diverse of different women from various walks of life and change and encourage the dated guise of societal standards of beauty."

Grece Ghanem, Montreal Fashion and Travel Enthusiast

Beauty doesn't age, beauty changes.

"Sephora gave me the chance to inspire women of all ages and professional backgrounds by showing them that beauty does not disappear with age. Beauty changes and we should embrace it; not fear it!"

Elise Gatschene, Toronto Model and Standup Comedian

Beauty is also in your imperfections.

"This campaign is such a wonderful opportunity to celebrate people for who they are and not just what they look like! Sephora spent so much time listening to our stories and getting to know us. It was refreshing to participate in a campaign that was so inclusive!"

Sarahmée, Montreal Urban Artist

Beauty means there's room for everyone.

"I like the idea of Sephora showcasing local Montreal individuals through their #WithSephora story. Sephora is globally recognized and has always had a message of diverse beauty."

Sephora invites Canadians to 'Beauty Together' and join the conversation by using the hashtag #WithSephora and to follow our collaborators' stories on Instagram (@sephoracanada) and the campaign dedicated Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkPs_tRCyiarTcWDqF5bjtQ/featured.

#WithSephora Campaign Visuals Credits:
Toronto	Montreal
Artistic Director - Ian McLelland, Sephora	Artistic Director - Ian McLelland, Sephora
Photographers - Saty and Pratha	Photographers - Saty and Pratha
Hair Stylist - Susana Hong	Hair Stylist - Andrew Ly
Wardrobe Stylist - Juliana Schiavinatto	Wardrobe Stylist - Cary Tauben
Director of Photography, Motion - Jess Hayes	Director of Photography, Motion - Jess Hayes
Director, Behind the Scenes Videos - Irina Grozavescu	Director, Behind the Scenes Videos - Irina Grozavescu
Director of Photography,	Director of Photography,
Behind the Scenes Videos - Justin Singer	Behind the Scenes Videos - Justin Singer
Camera Operator, Behind the Scenes Videos - Scott Watson	Camera Operator, Behind the Scenes Videos - Scott Watson
Makeup Artists	Makeup Artists
Adi Lando – Sephora PRO Lead Artist	Kevin Truong – Sephora PRO Lead   Artist
Kevin Truong – Sephora PRO Lead Artist	Frédérique Forest-Roy – Sephora Senior Artist
Delphine Tong – Sephora Senior Artist	Mylène Beaudet – Sephora Senior Artist
Jessica Lilley-Hastings – Sephora Senior Artist
Danielle Schekk – Sephora Senior Artist

About Sephora Americas
Since its debut in North America 20 years ago, Sephora has been a leader in global prestige omni-retail, teaching and inspiring clients to play in a universe of beauty and wellness, while creating the world's most loved beauty community. With an unbiased approach to experiential retail through its expertise, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, Sephora invites clients to play with 14,000 products from 200 carefully curated brands, enjoy personalized services at the Beauty Studio aided by digital innovations, and engage with expertly trained beauty advisors in more than 400 stores across the Americas, as well as 600 locations inside JCPenney. Clients can also experience Sephora online and through mobile apps, and access the free-to-join Beauty Insider program that offers unique rewards and experiences across three spending tiers. Let's Beauty Together. For more information, visit: https://www.sephora.com/about-us and @Sephora on social media.

SOURCE Sephora

For further information: Interviews available upon request. For more information, please contact: Belicia Chung, NATIONAL Public Relations, [email protected], 416-848-1446; Marjorie Roux, SEPHORA Canada, [email protected], 514-284-2571