WA Marketing Students Place Top 5 in L'Oréal Brandstorm National Finals
- Sean Palm
- May 27
- 3 min read
WA Marketing Students Place Top 5 in L'Oréal Brandstorm National Finals
Earlier this month, Pia Finn, Annalise Peacock and I were honoured to represent Western Australia at the L'Oréal Brandstorm 2025 National Finals in Melbourne, placing in the top 5 out of over 130 teams across Australia and New Zealand.
L'Oréal Brandstorm is a global innovation competition that challenges students to develop forward-thinking ideas that shape the future of beauty. Each year, L'Oréal sets a theme aligned with a real industry challenge, with the theme this year being Men: Beauty and Care.
Brandstormers were invited to reimagine beauty for men, with a focus on L'Oréal's Consumer Products Division. With household names like L'Oréal Paris, Garnier, and Maybelline New York, L'Oréal is the largest beauty company and 4th largest advertiser in the world, making Brandstorm a unique opportunity for students to engage with a true industry leader.
From CMA to Team Level Up
Annalise, Pia and I first met last year through the Curtin Marketing Association (CMA), where we connected over a shared passion for marketing, creativity, and pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zones. That spark led us to form Team Level Up.
Together, we pitched CARE360°, an AI-powered, gamified skincare app for men. By combining skincare personalisation, habit tracking, education, and connection, CARE360° aimed to break down stigma and empower men at every stage of their skincare journey.
Gamification was an integral part of our idea and our way of democratising beauty, in line with the Consumer Products Division's mission. Inspired by apps like Duolingo, CARE360° incorporates daily streaks, rewards, and challenges to make skincare both engaging and accessible.
Reflections from the Team
Being selected as one of the top 5 teams across Australia and New Zealand meant a trip to L’Oréal’s Melbourne HQ, where we pitched our idea to senior executives, toured their St Kilda office, and received mentorship from a previous Brandstorm winner.
Reflecting on the experience, Pia Finn shares:
People always say, 'it’s about the journey, not the destination', and they couldn’t be more accurate! This process was seven months in the making, and it flew by so quickly. The experience from ideation, team meetings that were filled with passion and laughter, the excitement from receiving the news we got into national finals, and presenting in front of like-minded students and the L’Oréal executive team is a journey I will cherish.
I learnt so much and made myself so proud with how much I pushed myself and grew as a person.
Annalise Peacock adds:
This was an unforgettable journey with L’Oréal and Team Level Up, Sean and Pia – truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience! It was so rewarding to see our big idea, combined with our creativity and passion, come to life.
To present in Melbourne, while working with a dream company and the best teammates that are equally as driven, hardworking and talented, is something I’ll treasure forever.
The Impact of Brandstorm
As marketing students, this competition was more than just a 3-minute pitch, but an invaluable experience that challenged us to align creativity, storytelling, and strategy with nuanced consumer needs.
To any student with an inventive spirit, I couldn’t recommend L’Oréal Brandstorm enough.
While we didn’t take home the national title, we walked away with industry insights, new connections, and an experience we'll remember for a lifetime.
