Clinique aims to keep firing on all cylinders.
Following its partnership with Mount Sinai on a dermatology center and successful debut on Amazon, it is doubling down on its strategy to innovate and reach more consumers globally.
As part of this, the brand is launching the 3-Step System’s campaign “Where Great Skin Begins” for its first TV commercial about the regimen in more than a decade.
The campaign puts real users front and center, including people who’ve relied on the system for one, four, 10, even 40 years.
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“We haven’t really talked about three step for about a decade. We’re thrilled that that’s now going to change, and we’re going to connect with consumers, really leveraging our dermatological roots,” Michelle Freyre, global brand president of Clinique and dermatological brands at The Estée Lauder Cos., said.
The campaign also serves as the launch platform for Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ SPF 35, an innovation that modernizes a hero product.
At the same time, Clinique is building on the virality of the “Honey” family — with Black Honey, the number-one lip shade in the U.S., and Pink Honey at number two — through the launch of Nude Honey, a new shade designed to bridge Gen Z’s tastes with the franchise’s multigenerational appeal.
It is also relaunching a reformulated Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel.
“The Mount Sinai partnership was a meaningful moment for us, because it was really when we started our pivot and our strategy of evolving [the brand] to modernize it for the consumer today, anchored in that dermatologist DNA and our roots. What’s been really great to see is that it’s been a real sustainable strategy,” Freyre said.
“Our innovation around our icons is going to drive growth for the brand and continue that strategic and sustained growth path that we’re on not just in the U.S., but globally.”
In February, Clinique launched Active Glow Serum, under the Moisture Surge franchise. The prior month, the brand introduced the Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Clearing Serum, the latest iteration of its hero dark spot product.
The strategy appears to be paying off, as it helped parent company Lauder to achieve prestige beauty share gains in the U.S. during its third quarter ended March 31.
Freyre said April marked the 12th consecutive month of market share growth and skin care for Clinique. It also grew market share in China by 9 percent over the past year.
The wider Estée Lauder Cos. has been struggling with slowing demand in Asia and at home. It expects sales to drop by as much as 9 percent in 2025 on the back of continued weakness in Asia and travel retail, but sees a return to growth next year if “there is meaningful resolution of the recently enacted tariffs.”
As part of his plan to turn around the company’s fortunes, chief executive officer Stéphane de La Faverie emphasized innovation — a facet of the business that analysts have said was lagging in recent years — was among his highest priorities.