The saying “you get what you pay for” reminds us to be wary of bargains that seem too good to be true. But when it comes to beauty, drugstore staples often can be just as effective as the pricier stuff. Celebrities such as Kendall Jenner certainly know a stellar budget beauty buy when they see one. And Suave set out to discover whether millennials rely more on packaging, price or quality when choosing their products.
In a genius social experiment, the hair-care empire asked young women to try a new high-end line called Evaus. But therein lies the trick. If you didn’t catch it, “Evaus” is actually “Suave” spelled backward.
The fictitious range consisted of shampoo, conditioner and leave-in cream, each in sleek, minimalist, Instagram-friendly packaging. Unsurprisingly, subjects were wooed by the modern look and genuinely believed the “luxury” samples were improving their strands. Little did they know, the pros at Suave had poured their budget-friendly Honey Infusion line into the bottles.
When they learned they were in fact using Suave all along, their reactions were priceless. The brand was able to prove that expensive-looking hair doesn’t have to involve expensive products. We still have one question, though: Why wouldn’t Suave tweak its packaging to reflect this strategy for real? Watch the entire experience here.
