• by Larissa Faw , May 19, 2014

Known for its cheeky line of instant beauty fixes, makeup brand's Benefit philosophy is “Laughter is the best cosmetic.”

Now, the San Francisco-based Benefit, part of LVMH, and its agency BSSP are launching a tongue-in-cheek new campaign—including its first broadcast effort—featuring women in police custody to introduce Benefit's New Gel Liner Pen. 

“The Benefit make-up brand has an edge," says Steve Mapp, creative director at BSSP. "Its personality is a little bit feisty, so for its first-ever broadcast campaign, we thought we could have fun and tell a story that connects with the Benefit consumer in a playful way."

The campaign shows a woman handcuffed in the back of the police car, but after opening her pocketbook, she overlooks a paperclip or bobby pin. Instead, she opts for her Benefit Gel Liner Pen to look her best in the mug shot. Then, as the car moves down the road, she adds liner to her lids to serve as the ultimate product demonstration.

The ad closes with her posing for the police camera, her eyes bold and outlined to perfection under the tagline "Prowler Alert! Catch the Heat, NEW they're real! Liner by Benefit."

The challenge to the agency, which won the assignment following a pitch last year, was to demonstrate the ease of use of Benefit's product in an upscale, yet attention-grabbing manner. “This spot has the feel of a cinema trailer – a true testament to the influence of director Noam Murro and a fantastic idea by BSSP,” noted Hannah Malot, Creative Director, Benefit. “We think it will have enormous appeal around the world and will be shared and liked by our global audience through social media and word of mouth. The product is a true innovation in the marketplace.” 

The film debuted May 15 and is supported with in-store, packaging and print, all developed by Benefit's in-house creative team.

The campaign will roll out internationally as this new product becomes available globally.