BigPicture2018 : ESCP and Institut Français de la Mode students conjure up personalization solutions for L’Oréal

8th Big Picture

For this 8th Big Picture edition, the challenge was to put together a vision for what L’Oréal personalized luxury makeup experience might be in the next two to five years, presenting this vision in a one-minute original video and 3-slide PowerPoint.

As they had done in previous years, by combining creative and analytical methodologies, students from both schools gained both a powerful learning experience and rich business exposure.
“Soft and technical skills are key to success. But also working under pressure, efficiently prioritizing tasks amongst team members with various different profiles and cultures (some of whom they have never met before). It is also a great intercultural journey!” Marie Taillard and Brad Fujimoto agreed.

In mixed teams of 5 to 6 students from both schools, students benefited from coaching sessions by L’Oréal executives, recruitment managers and L’Oréal MSc in Marketing and Creativity alumni, Margot Khelifi and Cyriaque Houdoux, as well as faculty members from ESCP and IFM.

The pressure was on to deliver by Friday afternoon!

Making up the Friday afternoon jury panel were senior industry executives including Jacques Challes, Chief Innovation officer, L'Oréal; Maud Jullien, AVP Make up Innovation and Product Development, L'Oréal USA ; Sandrine Gadol, Chief Innovation officer, L'Oréal USA ; Guive Balooch, Global VP, L’Oréal Tech Incubator ; Emma Shuttleworth, Talent Acquisition Director, L’Oréal France ; Laurent François, Executive Creative Strategist, RE-UP agency ; Benjamin Simmenauer, Associate Professor, IFM and Marie Taillard, MSc Marketing and Creativity Co-Director, L’Oréal Professor of Creativity Marketing.

The selection process focused specifically on the micro-insight driving each team’s proposed business model and its sustainability, as well as on the quality of the analysis and presentation, and the creativity of the solution and video.  In his closing remarks, Jacques Challes commented that “the more you work on a sharp, micro-insight, the better you deliver.” 

The first prize was awarded to the multinational team of Elodie Breton (IFM, from France), Melodie Caumes (ESCP, from France), Cecilia Jamil (IFM, from Brazil), Mathias Hupin (ESCP, from Belgium) and Vaiju Ravi (ESCP, from New Zealand), for their “Gift to L'Oréal” concept.

Watch the video of the winning team:

Watch Vaiju Ravi (ESCP MMK student) explainations about what a powerful learning experience and rich business exposure Big Picture was for her:

Yay! We have the winning team of @Loreal BIG PICTURE Challenge ?? Thanks a lot to all the fab #students. You all rocked ? and it was truly challenging to choose the ultimate BEST??We are excited to bring your vision to LIFE cc @IfmParis @ESCPeurope pic.twitter.com/kEgISQWVx4

— L'Oréal Talent (@lorealtalent) 29 April 2018