Patrick Ta Beauty launched its new campaign, “Beauty That Brings You Out,” starring founder Patrick Ta and four other first generation Americans:
The campaign is inspired by Patrick Ta’s experience as a child of Vietnamese immigrants in America and uses storytelling-driven creative to celebrate and amplify the stories of others with similar backgrounds. By centering these individuals, the brand demonstrates its belief in beauty as a means to build individual confidence and foster community on a larger scale.
We had the honor of interviewing Patrick Ta himself about the campaign, discussing everything from creative inspiration and casting decisions to amplification plans. However, before we dive in, we’ll provide a bit more context and detail.
PERSONAL STORYTELLING
“It [beauty] can take you from invisible to unstoppable, insecure to empowered, self-conscious to self-confident. It begins with a feeling that starts with you, because what brings you out, always comes from within.”
These are the opening lines of the hero campaign spot, spoken by Patrick Ta himself. The 30-second video includes clips of the talent embracing their authentic selves, accompanied by messaging about the power of beauty to transform self-doubt and insecurity into confidence:
In addition to this asset, the brand created individual videos that spotlight each talent in the campaign, showcasing their unique journeys of self-discovery and belonging through beauty:
Lera: A first-generation Ukrainian American who navigated the challenges of assimilation while reconnecting with her cultural roots.
Shannon: A first-generation Chinese American who embraced her Chinese identity in a diverse environment.
Sarita: A first-generation American of Mexican and Salvadoran descent who struggled with her identity in a predominantly white space.
Roseline: A first-generation Sudanese refugee who overcame the hardships of refugee life and growing up in a single-parent household.
MULTI-CHANNEL INVESTMENT
Let’s talk amplification. The brand has invested in a variety of OOH placements in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City. This investment marks many firsts for the brand: their first-ever TV advertisements, their first activation in Miami, and their first billboards. Additionally, they are launching activations in New York City and Los Angeles, along with other out-of-home placements around the country.
DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT
And that brings us to social media. Following the viral success of their blush filter earlier this year, which ranked in the top 1% of all TikTok filters, Patrick Ta Beauty is launching their new "Beauty That Brings You Out" filter on TikTok and Instagram. This filter embodies the campaign's core ethos, encouraging users to share their personal beauty journeys on social media.
Now, onto the main event of today’s letter: our interview with Patrick Ta. We had the opportunity to ask him about what the campaign means to him personally and the impact he hopes it will have on others. Without further ado, here’s our conversation with Patrick:
PEOPLE BRANDS AND THINGS: We’d love to hear more about your decision to amplify the stories of first generation Americans. Why is this important to you, and how did you approach the casting for the campaign?
Patrick Ta: This campaign is really rooted in my own experiences, and creating a seat at the table for our underrepresented communities to share their experiences.
When I came up with BTBYO (Beauty that Brings You Out) and shared this concept with my team, it brought me to tears. I truly feel like this is my life story. Beauty has allowed me to live colorfully and live unapologetically. It brought me out into the world.
This campaign is really special to me because beauty truly built my confidence throughout my career. It’s all about showing that beauty is about celebrating who you are and expressing yourself confidently, I hope that this campaign really encourages everyone to live and be their most authentic self.
Growing up as a Vietnamese-American, gay, overweight kid in America, I felt firsthand the struggle of not fitting in. I think that’s something everyone can relate to in today’s world.
For casting, I wanted real stories from people who’ve lived real-life experiences like Lera, a first-gen Ukrainian American, and Roseline, a Sudanese refugee.
PBT: This campaign marks the brand’s first foray into TV advertising. Why choose to invest in TV now, and what impact do you hope to achieve?
PT: TV felt like the right move because we have such an impactful message to share, so we want to connect with audiences we might not typically reach through social media alone. There is something universal about feeling like you can’t be your true self, and the goal of this campaign is to amplify our message of confidence and belonging, inspiring people in and beyond our community to share their own stories of embracing their power.
PBT: Community is clearly a central focus of this campaign. How will you use your Miami activation, social media, and other OOH initiatives to engage and expand your community?
PT: Community is at the heart of everything we do. It is such a privilege to have this career and a brand that has grown beyond my wildest imagination, all because of them. I love getting to create not just products but truly impactful moments for our community across the country.
Throughout this campaign and hearing everyone's stories, it’s really hit me even harder just how important it is to tell these stories so we uplift each other throughout our journeys and share that we can accomplish anything we want to.
Through telling other stories, we hope our community feels inspired to share their own story. We’ve partnered with key creators who align with the campaign's vision to help amplify the message.
Submit a pitch: peoplebrandsandthings@gmail.com.
Love this and love Patrick Ta! It's refreshing to see a brand not trying to sell us more stuff but instead, center storytelling and building community in the process. This is brand marketing at its best.