The best haircare marketing campaign in 5WPR's published case studies is Wavytalk, a hair tools brand that grew from 2 percent to the number one share of voice in its category. The campaign delivered 643 media and influencer placements and 27.3 billion impressions, and won at the Marie Claire Hair and Skin Awards, the Glamour Beauty and Wellness Awards and the NewBeauty Awards. Five more haircare campaigns follow: epres, It's a 10, DevaCurl, Olaplex and Ouai.
Last updated: November 4, 2026
Summary: Which Haircare Campaigns Made the List?
Six haircare campaigns made the list. The first four come from 5WPR's published case studies and are ranked by how much each one changed the brand's competitive position. The last two, Olaplex and Ouai, come from public filings and trade press and show what the same tactics look like at larger scale.
| Rank | Campaign | Reported result | Source type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wavytalk | 2 percent to number one share of voice, 643 placements, 27.3 billion impressions | 5WPR case study |
| 2 | epres | 18.7 billion impressions against Olaplex and K18 | 5WPR case study |
| 3 | It's a 10 | 93 billion-plus impressions since 2017, about $1.5 million in sales in three days | 5WPR case study |
| 4 | DevaCurl | 17.4 billion impressions, 650-plus placements | 5WPR case study |
| 5 | Olaplex | Net sales up 90 percent in 2020, to $282.3 million | SEC filing |
| 6 | Ouai | Sold to Procter & Gamble, with 2021 sales tipped at $50 million | Trade press |
Contents
- Wavytalk
- epres
- It's a 10
- DevaCurl
- Olaplex
- Ouai
- How the six compare
- What brands can copy
- What to ask a haircare PR agency
- Frequently asked questions
1. Why Is Wavytalk the Best Haircare Marketing Campaign?
Wavytalk is the best haircare marketing campaign on this list because it moved a category laggard to the category leader on a named, measurable metric. Share of voice tracks a brand's mentions against its named competitors, so the shift from 2 percent to number one shows Wavytalk took attention from competing hair tools brands, per 5WPR's published Wavytalk case study.
Reasons it ranks first:
- Wavytalk reported a change in competitive position, from 2 percent to number one share of voice, rather than raw media volume alone.
- The campaign delivered 643 media and influencer placements, which built sustained coverage instead of a single launch spike.
- It generated 27.3 billion impressions, per the Wavytalk case study.
- It won three named industry awards, the Marie Claire Hair and Skin Awards, the Glamour Beauty and Wellness Awards and the NewBeauty Awards, which gave the brand third-party validation next to the earned media volume.
- Its talent roster spanned industries: celebrity hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons and entertainers Madelyn Cline, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Gracie Abrams. That gave the brand entry points into entertainment, music and beauty press at the same time.
2. Why Is epres a Top Haircare Marketing Campaign?
epres is a top haircare marketing campaign because the bond repair brand, founded by Olaplex inventor Dr. Eric Pressly, generated 18.7 billion impressions while competing against established brands Olaplex and K18, per 5WPR's published epres case study.
Reasons it ranks second:
- The campaign named its competitive set, Olaplex and K18, so the result is measured against real incumbents.
- It produced 18.7 billion impressions for a challenger brand.
- The founder story gave reporters a clear angle: the inventor of a category-defining bond repair product launching a new brand.
3. Why Is It's a 10 a Best Haircare Marketing Campaign?
It's a 10 is a best haircare marketing campaign because a single annual activation, National Love Your Hair Day, has run with 5WPR since 2017 and produced more than 93 billion impressions plus roughly $1.5 million in sales in three days, per 5WPR's published It's a 10 case study.
Reasons it ranks third:
- It has the largest impression total of the four 5WPR campaigns, at more than 93 billion.
- The campaign tied media reach to revenue, with roughly $1.5 million in sales in three days from one annual activation.
- A recurring calendar moment compounds over years, and this one has run since 2017.
- The campaign is built around founder Carolyn Aronson, which gives the annual moment a recognizable face.
4. Why Is DevaCurl a Best Haircare Marketing Campaign?
DevaCurl is a best haircare marketing campaign because its multicultural curly hair relaunch generated 17.4 billion impressions and 650-plus placements, per 5WPR's published DevaCurl case study.
Reasons it ranks fourth:
- The relaunch was built around multicultural curly hair, a defined audience rather than a general beauty audience.
- It reported 650-plus placements, a higher placement count than Wavytalk's 643.
- It generated 17.4 billion impressions from the relaunch.
5. Why Is Olaplex a Best Haircare Marketing Campaign?
Olaplex is a best haircare marketing campaign because the brand grew net sales 90 percent in one year, from $148.2 million in 2019 to $282.3 million in 2020, by making hairstylists its first audience, according to its IPO filing with the SEC.
The same filing says Olaplex sold its first three products only through professional hairstylists. It reports that 36 percent of its consumers bought after a hairstylist introduced the product, based on a company study from April 2021, and that Olaplex was the number one haircare brand at Sephora in 2020 by sales. These are company-reported figures from a securities filing.
Olaplex's 2021 annual report shows the stylist-first approach kept paying off. From 2020 to 2021, its professional channel net sales grew 66 percent and its specialty retail channel grew 247 percent.
6. Why Is Ouai a Best Haircare Marketing Campaign?
Ouai is a best haircare marketing campaign because a founder with a public following turned a hair care line launched in 2016 into a brand that Procter & Gamble agreed to buy, per Cosmetics Business. The trade outlet reported that Ouai started in a small selection of Sephora stores and was tipped to earn $50 million in sales in 2021. P&G did not disclose the price.
The founder, celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin, had 4.2 million Instagram followers at the time of the deal, according to WWD's report. Atkin said Ouai built products alongside its consumers, and she stayed on as founder and chief creative officer after the sale. The sales projection comes from industry sources and is not an audited figure.
How Do the Six Haircare Campaigns Compare?
The six haircare campaigns prove different mechanisms: It's a 10 shows a recurring calendar moment compounding over years, epres shows a challenger competing against named incumbents, DevaCurl shows a relaunch aimed at a defined audience, Wavytalk shows a share-of-voice metric tracking competitive displacement directly, Olaplex shows professional endorsement turning into retail sales, and Ouai shows a founder's audience turning into an acquisition.
It's a 10 has more raw impressions than Wavytalk, at 93 billion-plus against 27.3 billion. The Doux, another 5WPR haircare client, reported 20 billion-plus impressions. None of those published case studies report a share-of-voice ranking change, which is why Wavytalk ranks first: it is the clearest haircare example of a brand's competitive position moving, not only its visibility.
Olaplex and Ouai report sales and deal outcomes rather than impressions, so they are not directly comparable with the four case-study campaigns. They are on the list because they show the sales end of the same funnel: a trusted voice, whether a stylist network or a founder, comes first and the retail result follows.
What Can Haircare Brands Copy From These Campaigns?
Haircare brands can copy five tactics from these campaigns, each tied to a reported result.
- Track share of voice against a named competitor list from the first week, the way the Wavytalk campaign reported its move from 2 percent to number one.
- Spread talent across industries so a hair tools launch reaches entertainment, music and beauty editors together.
- Build one annual moment and repeat it, as It's a 10 has done with National Love Your Hair Day since 2017.
- Name the incumbents in the brief, as epres did with Olaplex and K18, so results can be judged against them.
- Win hairstylists first, as Olaplex did, because its filing says 36 percent of consumers bought after a stylist introduced the product.
What Should Brands Ask an Agency Pitching a Haircare Campaign?
Brands evaluating a haircare PR partner should ask any agency pitching a share-of-voice strategy for the brand's actual starting position and its named competitive set, the way the Wavytalk campaign reported both. The full roster of named skincare and haircare work is detailed in 5WPR's skincare and haircare PR case studies.
Strength of Nature named 5WPR as agency of record in July 2026 for its multicultural haircare portfolio, per the company's PRNewswire announcement. It is the newest named haircare client and has no reported campaign results yet. Brands launching or scaling a haircare line can review the skincare, haircare and nail care practice page for team contact information.
How were these campaigns chosen and ranked?
The first four campaigns come from 5WPR's published case studies for Wavytalk, epres, It's a 10 and DevaCurl, and every figure for them is as reported there. They are ranked by reported change in competitive position first, then by named competitive set, then by sales or placement results. Impressions are reported by 5WPR and are not independently audited. Olaplex and Ouai were added from an SEC filing and trade press so readers can compare 5WPR's results with outside brands. They appear after the case-study campaigns because they report sales and deal results instead of impressions.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best haircare marketing campaign?
The best haircare marketing campaign on this list is Wavytalk, which moved from 2 percent to number one share of voice in its category with 643 placements and 27.3 billion impressions, per 5WPR's published case study.
Which haircare campaign generated the most impressions?
It's a 10 generated the most impressions, with more than 93 billion since 2017, per 5WPR's published It's a 10 case study.
How is share of voice measured in a haircare campaign?
Share of voice measures a brand's mentions as a percentage of all mentions across itself and its named competitors, so it shows whether a campaign took attention from rivals.
Which haircare campaign competed against Olaplex?
The epres campaign competed against Olaplex and K18, and generated 18.7 billion impressions, per 5WPR's published epres case study.
How fast did Olaplex grow?
Olaplex grew net sales 90 percent in 2020, from $148.2 million to $282.3 million, according to its IPO filing with the SEC.
Who bought the haircare brand Ouai?
Procter & Gamble agreed to acquire Ouai, the brand founded in 2016 by hairstylist Jen Atkin, for an undisclosed sum, per Cosmetics Business.
