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Jan 9, 2018
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L'Oréal and Beckham's House 99 makes major assault on luxe end of men's market

Published
Jan 9, 2018

Soccer superstar David Beckham has unveiled his latest business initiative under his deal with L’Oréal with his new label described as “a global brand that will change the rules of the grooming game”. 


House 99



Beckham and L’Oréal said they want to “demystify men's grooming needs and encourage self-expression and style experimentation.”

Bold words. So what exactly is it all about? Well, it’s called House 99 and is a complete collection of 21 “innovative products to conquer every style ambition,” L’Oréal said.

And this appears to be no mass-market celeb line. The launch is happening through the French group’s Luxe arm and debuts in Harvey Nichols next month.

It aims “to provide all the tools men need to experiment with their look in order to express their own evolving style and unique identity.”

It takes a “holistic” approach to grooming, “merging British barbershop culture and style with hair, skin, beard and tattoo creativity to build a home for every man's next look.”


House 99



As mentioned, the new brand will launch in the UK, exclusively at Harvey Nichols on February 1 and it will then roll out to other British retailers, as well as 19 countries, from March 1.

L’Oréal’s partnership with Beckham is a powerful one that will certainly grab consumer attention as it mixes one of the most dynamic global beauty giants with a celeb who has become a style leader for men and who has famously reinvented his look over many years. 

THE PRODUCTS

The two-year development has resulted in a line-up that includes products specifically tailored to the grooming issues Millennial men currently face. That means that as well as the moisturisers and other ‘regular’ products there are some items that offer a more unique edge to the range.

Most prominent of these is perhaps the brand’s Bold Statement Tattoo Body Moisturizer SPF30. Beckham is known for his tattoos and the brand’s press release says he “knows the importance of protecting and maintaining his ink-work.” The spray moisturiser is therefore meant to be “easy and fast to use, leaving skin supple [with] no residue. The protective SPF 30 blocks UV rays to preserve tattoos' original colours and enhance brightness.”

There’s also Seriously Groomed Beard & Hair Balm that “dishes out serious discipline to shape up unruly hair and short [to] long beards. Inspired by David Beckham's current long-haired look and his full beard from 2015.” And the Smooth Back Shaping Pomade was inspired by his earlier Pompadour hairstyle.

Quinoa and spirulina are heavily used in the formulas “for their health-boosting properties” with the company saying that “these natural protein-rich actives combine the essential constituents needed by hair and skin that can't be synthesised by the body.”

L’Oréal also explained the name of the brand saying that the use of the word ‘house’ reflects Beckham’s “goal to build an inclusive community of grooming aficionados, to share style tips and recommendations.” Meanwhile ’99’ is a number he has tattooed on his hand that “marks a momentous year in both his personal life and career.” He got married, his eldest son was born, and Manchester United won the treble.”


House 99



Understandably, the company is making the most of the Beckham back story throughout the marketing for this launch and said that the global celeb had “dedicated involvement from the beginning” and “played an active role in every element of developing his brand, from testing in the L'Oréal Luxe labs to picking product names, fragrances and logo designs.”

We’re also told that he “personally appointed some of the best names in the grooming game to collaborate with House 99," including, master barber Fabio Marquez (from Figaro Barbershop in Lisbon, Portugal), “providing professional guidance and dynamic content for the brand's own digital platform.”

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