The co-branded work by McCann Shanghai for lipstick and lingerie came from the insight that traditional beauty norms still weigh on many Chinese women.

L'Oreal has joined Chinese lingerie and loungewear brand Neiwai (内外) in a joint campaign to make Chinese women feel comfortable in their own skin. The co-branded campaign by McCann Shanghai is titled "It takes boldness to be nude," and features women embracing a variety of skin tones and types.

The campaign marks the launch of two new product lines from L'Oreal and Neiwai with a 'nude tone' colour palette that complements Asian skin tones. Both L'Oreal's new limited-edition lipstick collection and Neiwai's new cotton underwear collection will be launched with exact-matching colour tones named after natural body features: Little Freckles, Wheat-Color Tan, Sun Blush, Beauty Marks, and Nude Birthmark.

The aim is encourage more Chinese women to embrace the look of their natural skin tone and types, a concept that fits well with Neiwai's previous campaigns to emphasise beauty among natural body types, shapes and sizes as a core value in in its marketing. 

What's interesting is that by partnering with another brand and encouraging a love of natural beauty L'Oreal has breathed new meaning and life into its old tag line: 'Because I'm worth it'. While the 'I' was always meant to represent all women, the words coming from a supermodel exuded individuality and exclusivity. In this campaign, the women saying "We're worth it" more clearly speak for all women.

"Since L’Oréal Paris first came to China 25 years ago, we have been committed to working with Chinese women to discover their unique beauty," says Lily Li, general manager of DMI L’Oréal Paris. Nude tones suit every Chinese woman and are the perfect base to showcase natural beauty.”

In the process of gathering insights for the campaign, McCann's China beauty team found that many women were still associating 'confidence' with physical appearance, and that traditional beauty beliefs could play a role in suppressing some women's confidence. 

"Everyone accepts themselves differently, some people can easily accept themselves the way they are; other people can't. However, one thing is certain. A woman who dares and is willing to show her natural self is a woman of courage," says Kanny Chan, executive creative director of the McCann Shanghai beauty team. 

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