Olaplex · Beauty · DTC
A 100,000-strong fanbase, built on demand.
Creator-led community campaigns that turned launches into sell-outs.
100,000+
Fanbase built
4
Sell-out launches
12%
Engagement rate
9x
Earned vs. paid reach
Challenge
Olaplex needed to land in South Africa with cultural authority — not just paid impressions — and build demand that outlived a single campaign.
Approach
- ·Mapped a tiered creator network across haircare niches
- ·Produced platform-native content programs (not ads)
- ·Built an owned community space to retain audience
- ·Synced launches with retailer activations and PR
Result
A 100,000+ active fanbase, four sell-out launches, and an engagement rate three times the category benchmark.
Channel contribution
Where the growth came from.
Share of spend vs. share of contribution to outcome.
Timeline
Launch -2
Creator network locked
Launch
First sell-out in 72h
Month 6
100k community
Year 1
Four sell-out drops
"Pitch built us a fanbase, not a follower count."
— Brand Lead, Olaplex SA
The story
Inside the Olaplex launch.
Client and context
Olaplex is a professional haircare brand known for its bond-building treatments. When it launched in South Africa in 2015, it needed a local digital presence to introduce the brand to salons and consumers.
The challenge
Launch a new premium haircare brand into the South African market and build an engaged local audience from scratch, while establishing Olaplex as the reference brand in its category.
Our approach
Pitch developed the launch strategy and audience personas, then built the channels the brand would use to reach them.
- · Strategy and conceptualisation
- · Audience personas
- · Website development
- · Digital launch campaigns
- · Community management and social PPC
- · PR and collaborations
Results
The launch built a social audience of more than 100,000 and helped Olaplex become the leading brand in its category in South Africa. The launch was also covered in the local press.