BEHIND EMI JAY'S LAUNCH + POP-UP😇
A VERY, VERY SPECIAL INTERVIEW
This interview was conducted prior to Emi Jay’s Halo Hair Oil pop-up which took place this past weekend. As a result, all questions and answers are framed accordingly.
The Emi Jay team always has something up their sleeves, but over the past couple of weeks, they’ve been especially busy. From their Pilates activation in West Hollywood amplifying their Dream Crème to their partnership with Gracie Abrams’ hair stylist for one of her shows, the brand is always finding ways to bring their community together and showcase their products in engaging ways. This week, they did that in a bigger way, launching their Halo Hair Oil and a pop-up in Los Angeles to celebrate:
For some brief context, Halo Hair Oil is a finishing shine oil enriched with natural flower and seed oils. It contains Pink Mica, which adds shimmer, shine, and hydration to all hair types and textures. The product also features the brand’s signature fragrance, “Angel Wings,” blending amber and light musk. Its lightweight formula ensures hair feels healthy and moisturized without any oily residue.
In honor of this launch and the LA pop-up, we had the opportunity to speak with five individuals from the Emi Jay and Maison Ko teams - including Emi Jay’s founder, Julianne Goldmark - who helped bring the pop-up to life:
Julianne Goldmark: Founder and Director of Brand (Team Emi Jay)
Dani Boyce: Art Director (Team Emi Jay)
Hannah Freeman: Senior Marketing Manager (Team Emi Jay)
Jordan Bambalas: Halo Hair Oil Activation/Event Manager (Team Emi Jay)
David Ko: Freelance Interior Designer / Event Producer (Maison Ko)
This interview was truly a team effort and it’s divided into the following sections: Product Launch, Creative Direction, and Experiential Pop-Up. How do they collaborate internally to execute projects of this magnitude? What was the creative concept tying the launch campaign and activation together? Why did they cast talent for this campaign, and why launch a print product? We’re very excited to share this interview, so let’s dive right into our conversation with team Emi Jay:
PRODUCT LAUNCH
While maybe best known for their accessories - claw clips, pins, and scrunchies - Emi Jay has expanded into haircare with the launch of Angelstick (a hair smoothing balm), Dream Crème (an indulgent hair mask), and this week, their Halo Hair Oil (a finishing shine oil). Beyond their angel-themed names, each product is designed to serve a distinct purpose: smoothing and styling, hydration and repair, and shine and frizz control, respectively.
This expansion is a smart move that stays true to their brand identity and expertise in the hair category while also being trend-forward. The haircare market is booming, and it’s safe to say the Emi Jay consumer loves a slick back bun, as we all do. For the purpose of this interview, we asked the team about their decision to launch an oil specifically and how this SKU fits into their larger collection.
PEOPLE BRANDS AND THINGS: After the successful launch of Angelstick and Dream Crème, why did you decide to introduce hair oil? How do you envision people incorporating it with other products in your collection?
Julianne Goldmark: A lightweight hair oil was actually something our customers asked for when we did a Q&A right after we launched Angelstick a year ago. We had a formula already in the works, but knew instantly that was what we wanted to go with after Dream Creme. For myself, I always struggled with finding a hair oil that didn't leave my hair feeling heavy or gross. Halo truly doesn't do that! The shimmer element adds so much amazing shine to the hair and works flawlessly with our brushes, it also acts as the finishing touch to your styling routine. An easy yet effective hybrid between treatment and styling - the perfect addition to our EJ customer’s hair wardrobe.
CREATIVE DIRECTION
One of Emi Jay’s biggest strengths is their ability to make every launch feel exciting and fresh, regardless of the product or size of the collection. They often achieve this by grouping new accessories around a specific theme or creative concept. This approach not only makes every launch feel big, but also builds hype and excitement.
This was evident in their recent Chantilly drop, a French-inspired collection of everyday neutrals. The entire mini-campaign, so to speak, featured images of the products alongside cappuccinos and croissants, videos showcasing the accessories in use, and even an intimate pastry class - perfectly aligned with the theme of the collection. This is just one example of how thoughtfully they approach product launches, ensuring each feels aesthetically cohesive, visually immersive, and extends beyond social media to in-person activations.
Now, let’s dive into this campaign specifically. Few things excite us more than a mood board, and the one shared above by the Emi Jay team for the Halo Hair Oil launch is one of our all-time favorites. It offers a glimpse into the visual references that inspired the campaign, from the color palette to lifestyle images, hair shots, typography, collateral, and more. At first glance, it’s clear the campaign evokes a sense of sophistication, nostalgia, and glamour, with text reading: “Old Hollywood glam. Big red booths, dirty martinis, gossiping over steak frites. Gold accents and dim lighting emphasize glossy hair.”
In addition to the Old Hollywood concept, the Emi Jay team cast Cindy Kimberly as the face of the campaign, invested in a print catalog to showcase the product, and hosted a pop-up in LA to celebrate the launch. Before we get to the event, we asked the team about the creative direction, including more about their internal creative process. Here’s everything they shared:
PBT: Can you walk us through how campaigns come to life at Emi Jay? What does the creative process entail, and how do the internal teams collaborate?
Dani Boyce: We always start with a few concept mood boards of different photoshoot directions. We build everything around our campaign photography. It is the most important part of Emi jay creative, making sure our photography feels real, romantic, and connected to our community. Once we land on a direction, we collaborate with the marketing team on shoot location, styling, and all the little details that go into a photoshoot. We only shoot in film for campaigns, so its always exciting to wait for the film to come back to see our final shots. At the same time I’m working on the graphics, the product word mark, and color scheme. We’re a small team, so we all work super closely on everything for a launch, from concepting to event production. I love getting everyones thoughts on the creative, this team knows the Emi Jay brand so well its necessary to have their input to make it feel authentically EJ. This was one of the first product campaigns I worked on at Emi Jay, I’m super lucky to have joined a team that is so invested in producing great creative.
PBT: What’s the creative concept behind this campaign, and why does it make sense for this launch?
DB: Emi Jay photography has to feel real, so no overdone staging or props, and we rarely shoot in a studio for our campaigns. Because of that, I like to ground our campaign creative direction in real experiences. We talked about a couple of ideas, like setting it in your hometown dive bar during the holidays, or behind the scenes of a runway show. We really connected with a concept centered around the iconic Hollywood red booth. Drinking martinis and chatting over steak frites in a dimly lit restaurant is something the team ourselves would love to do. The campaign just fell into place from there, we could reference Hollywood glam to showcase the luxurious styling effect of the oil, while still feeling unique for holiday. Halo Hair Oil is a really glamorous product, we wanted to balance the high glam of old Hollywood with slightly more undone locations, the back of a car, in a restaurant booth, walking down Sunset Blvd. The campaign feels true to us, and even more so because it tells the story of a really good night in Los Angeles, our hometown.
PBT: Old Hollywood served as the inspiration for this campaign - why did you choose that theme? Could you share mood board visuals and highlight the key references that shaped the campaign's aesthetic?
DB: My favorite reference was looking at all the creative details at Musso & Frank, the classic Hollywood Boulevard restaurant. They have an iconic attention to detail that I wanted to emulate at our pop-up. From the matches to the napkins, butter-pads, everything. I love to go to restaurants and hotels for typography inspiration, there are a few of those references that made the mood board. We like that in a dark room with flash the background fades away and you really focus on the subject. In this case, you can especially see how shiny and sleek our model’s hair is.
PBT: What led you to cast Cindy Kimberly as the face of this campaign? What does she represent, and how does she embody the Emi Jay brand?
Jordan Bambalas: Cindy has been a staple on our mood boards for years, so it was a dream come true to create our own looks with her. Her timeless, sophisticated, and elegant presence perfectly aligned with the vision for this launch. Her photos consistently evoke the dreamy quality we strive for, making this campaign truly perfect.
PBT: We have to ask about the creation of your catalog. Why print, what were your goals, and could you give us an inside look at some of the pages?
JG: For the past few launches/collections we’ve been coming out with a magazine for our top customers and community. For us it started as an organic yet intimate, fun, creative and nostalgic outlet for us to showcase our campaign images + BTS that we didn't get to share on social media. We really didn’t have a goal outside of wanting to show our campaign and in turn, the response from recipients was SO great that we decided to bring it to the public for Halo Hair Oil. We always include little recipes, games and fun quizzes - I think it brings people away from their phones even just for a second. It’s a really nice surprise that our team + community have been loving.
EXPERIENTIAL POP-UP
Apart from stand-out creative and emotional relevance, one of the most important aspects to assess in a campaign’s success is its cohesiveness - that is, how well the creative translates across platforms. This extends beyond digital, making sure that in-person experiences are aligned with the campaign at large.
The last point is why Emi Jay’s LA pop-up was so well executed and should be studied - they allowed the campaign to lead the development of the pop-up’s aesthetic rather than the other way around, ensuring it was aligned with their overall vision. Every part of the space, from the materials used to the product displays to the setups, contributed to the ‘Old Hollywood’ aesthetic we discussed earlier. In addition, they teamed up with a number of other brands on products and experiences to elevate the space even more. We talked about these decisions and more with the Emi Jay team, as well as David Ko from Maison Ko, the full-service interior design firm that helped bring this space to life:
PBT: Why did you choose to invest in a pop-up now, particularly for this product? What makes this moment the ideal time for it?
JG: For the past two hair care launches, we had a lot of customers wanting to try the products in person. Ahead of the holiday season, I wanted to bring Halo to life IRL so people had the opportunity to try this fabulous formula and also maybe pick up a few gifts for their loved ones. It not only felt like the perfect time to bring back a classic Emi Jay activation, but also for us to test out customers being the first to try newness.
PBT: How is the campaign concept, or specific elements from it, integrated into the pop-up experience? How do you plan to highlight the new hair oil within the space?
David Ko: The campaign really led the direction of this pop up. Seeing as how the campaign is heavily influenced by Old Hollywood glamour with feminine and angelic touches, we drew a lot of inspiration from the 40s and 50s, primarily glam rooms and anything that felt art deco. We wanted the space to feel like a jewel box — from the blush velvet drapery, burgundy carpet, and custom furniture design. We built two half circle display cases, meant to imitate the shape of a halo, to feature the new Halo Hair Oil along with the rest of the brand’s offerings. Along with that, the oil is featured throughout the space — we have a vanity wall that has the product on brass trays for customers to test and apply, campaign posters and product imagery framed and hung within the space, and a French apothecary style shelving display behind the cash wrap. Lastly, we created a theater room where the campaign video is playing on a loop for guests to sit, grab a pretzel, and enjoy the show.
PBT: How do you plan to attract people to the event? What’s your strategy for collaborating with influencers and creators to amplify the pop-up?
Hannah Freeman: We’re beyond excited to involve our community with this exclusive pop-up, where they’ll be the first to experience our latest hair care angel, Halo Hair Oil, and get a sneak peek at our upcoming holiday collection - before the official online launch on 10/22! At the pop-up, every purchase comes with a special gift that changes daily, encouraging customers to return and discover something new throughout the weekend. As a bonus, the first 20 customers each day will receive a free limited-edition Big Effing Clip in Baby Mauve.
To add even more buzz, we've teamed up with our neighbors at Bravo Toast to create the "Halo Vanilla Chai Latte" - a delicious iced vanilla latte topped with dreamy pink chai cold foam. This exclusive drink will be available from October 18th to November 18th, extending the excitement long past the pop-up weekend and keeping everyone talking (and posting!) about the launch.
For our closest industry insiders and creator friends, we kicked things off with a private preview night on Thursday to celebrate the space before opening to the public. With signature cocktails by 818 Tequila, a vintage photo booth for capturing unforgettable moments, and gift bags featuring Halo Hair Oil, we made sure it was a night to remember. We love curating special moments for our creators to organically spread the word and amplify the buzz around our activations.
A huge thank you to the entire Emi Jay team and David Ko for taking the time to chat with us; they’re truly one of our favorite brands of all time, constantly innovating and releasing products that make us think, "Yeah, we need that too." We highly recommend getting your hands on their new Halo Hair Oil, along with a claw clip or two...or three while you’re at it. After all, you can never have enough Emi Jay hair accessories in your personal collection. Ever.
Want to submit a pitch? Email (or DM) us: peoplebrandsandthings@gmail.com