Three Master in Marketing and Transformative Economy students reach L'Oréal Brandstorm 2025 finals

In May, Alena Glinina, Andrea Missaglia and Sara Viavattene, three students from the Master's programme in Marketing and Transformative Economy at Università della Svizzera italiana, made it to the regional finals of the L'Oréal Brandstorm 2025 competition in Düsseldorf, in which students from Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DACH finals) took part. Their team, the GlowGetters, was one of eight finalists selected from over 500 entries.

Brandstorm is an annual innovation competition organised by L'Oréal for young people aged between 18 and 30, which aims to turn the contributions of international students into solutions to real business challenges in the beauty industry. The 2025 edition focused on the theme "reinventing beauty for men". Among its many participants, USI's IMCA took part with the course Orthodox and Critical Perspectives in Marketing, taught by Monica Mendini and Professor Luca Visconti.

The GlowGetters proposed a bold and transformative concept: considering men as the target audience in the world of nail polish. Based on data from a survey conducted in 20 countries, interviews, and ethnographic exploration, the three students observed that a significant number of men are interested in nail polish, particularly in social and expressive settings such as nightlife, festivals, and fashionable environments. However, these men often struggle with a lack of inspiration, guidance, and targeted communication from global brands. The three students, therefore, designed an end-to-end path for the male customer and created a 3D-printed prototype for the launch of their proposed new product: a rechargeable, beginner-friendly and gender-neutral dual-tip pen that allows for hassle-free nail polish application on the go. Beyond product innovation, their mission was sociocultural: "We wanted to challenge old beauty norms and give men a simple and safe way to express themselves," explained Alena Glinina, Andrea Missaglia and Sara Viavattene.

The three students' journey began with a presentation to L'Oréal executives held at USI in early autumn. Subsequently, Alena, Andrea and Sara spent several months perfecting the project. The final presentation - to be made on the Brandstorm platform - was strict: only three slides (to present the mid-year work) and a 3-minute video to introduce the team, answering predefined questions from L'Oréal.

Only two days after the presentation, the three students were informed that they had been invited to the DACH finals. "With surprise and excitement, we stood out among nearly 500 projects submitted from the DACH region. Being selected from so many great ideas demonstrated that with the right insights and teamwork, courageous ideas can truly emerge," said the GlowGetters.

During the final stages of the competition, the three MMTE students had the opportunity to network with other participants and present their project in front of a jury mainly composed of L'Oréal DACH's top management at the company's headquarters in Düsseldorf.