Case Studied
From web traffic to foot traffic 

Amazon Prime Day is built on convenience. Shoppers expect steep discounts and boxes that arrive on their doorstep at uncanny speeds.

Plenty of brands have tried competing with Amazon on Prime Day. But recently, we saw Sephora take a unique approach to steal the spotlight: instead of trying to out-discount Amazon, it aimed to get people to shop IRL instead.

This week, Case Studied explores how Sephora used Lyft rides to steal attention during Amazon Prime Day.

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The Brief

Sephora launched in 1969 as a single perfume shop in Limoges, France. LVMH acquired it in 1997, and the first U.S. store opened in New York a year later. Today, it’s one of the largest specialty beauty retailers in the world, with more than 2,700 stores across 35 countries. 

Sephora was built around an in-store model of sampling, expert advice, and hands-on product discovery. That model is part of what differentiates it from mass retailers and marketplaces, but it's also the exact experience that a two-day online discount event like Prime Day doesn't reward.

Ahead of Amazon Prime Day 2025, Sephora's internal research team found a telling gap in enthusiasm: only 30% of beauty buyers feel excited about their Amazon deliveries compared to 70% say the same about deliveries from Sephora. 

The brand saw that insight as an opportunity. It set out several ambitious goals: gain 150 million media impressions, lift brand love by at least 5 points, and increase foot traffic to the stores, all during a window when consumer attention is locked on Amazon. To make it happen, Sephora reimagined what “delivery” could mean.

The Execution

Sephora partnered with Lyft and Digitas on an integrated campaign titled “Delivered to Beauty.” It paired in-app digital ads with a real-world rideshare activation. The main idea? Instead of delivering a package to a customer, the campaign delivered a customer to Sephora. 

The campaign kicked off inside the Lyft app with video content and map takeovers introducing the "Get Delivered" concept, alongside promo codes for discounted rides to Sephora locations. On the ground, Sephora-branded vehicles, wrapped in the retailer's signature black and white stripes, drove through five major U.S. cities: Seattle, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. 

In a pointed bit of stunt marketing, the cars also made appearances outside Amazon's own headquarters. Riders who used the promo were greeted at Sephora stores with samples, exclusive offers, and added in-store attention as part of the "Get Delivered" experience. Creators and influencers documented the rides and the store visits alongside the paid activation. 

The two brands split responsibilities across the partnership: Sephora led the creative concept and campaign direction, while Lyft Ads handled execution across local markets. Beyond the rides themselves, Sephora layered in social and influencer activity, with creators sharing their own "delivered to beauty" moments, which helped extend the campaign beyond the five cities where the physical activation actually took place.

The Results

The Delivered to Beauty campaign achieved over 400 million total impressions, 325 million of which were press impressions from 73 publications. That figure was more than double Sephora’s goal of 150 million impressions. 

The brand sentiment increased by 13 points, exceeding the 5 points target, with even stronger lifts among 18-34 year-olds. That demographic saw a 13-point increase in buzz, a 13-point increase in brand love, and a 9-point increase in respondents who said Sephora "sets trends" in the beauty category. 

On social, the campaign drove 19.2 million impressions and engagement rates 3,175% above Sephora's typical benchmarks, with 94% positive sentiment. On the foot traffic side, Lyft rides to Sephora increased 4 times during the campaign window. The number of first-time Sephora visits increased 5 times.

The Takeaways

1) Let customer insights define the strategy.

Sephora's entire campaign concept traced back to a single data point: only 30% of beauty buyers felt excited about deliveries from other retailers, compared to 70% for Sephora. That gap informed nearly every aspect of the resulting campaign. 

Insights are often used to validate a creative idea that's already been decided on. Treating a specific, well-defined data point as the starting point (rather than a supporting stat) can lead to a stronger campaign concept.

2) Choose a partner with key capabilities.

A beauty retailer and a rideshare service make odd pairing on the surface. But the key insight behind Sephora's campaign required physically moving individuals from one place to another, which Lyft’s functionality offered. Plus, Lyft's stated mission around connection paired naturally with Sephora's "We Belong to Something Beautiful" positioning.

A partnership works best when both organizations bring something the other can't easily produce alone, whether that's reach, infrastructure, or audience trust. Before pursuing a co-branded campaign, look for a partner whose values and customer base complement yours rather than simply overlap. A clear division of responsibilities can also help each side contribute what it does best.

3) Use a competitor's moment as your own platform. 

With this campaign, Sephora took a new approach to competing for attention during Prime Day. The timing meant Sephora's message reached consumers at the exact moment their attention was already on shopping. Plus, sending branded vehicles past Amazon's headquarters was a cheeky cherry on top. 

Timing a campaign around an existing high-attention event can sometimes generate more visibility than launching in a vacuum. Consider which moments already command your audience's attention throughout the year, including ones tied to other brands. From there, look for ways your product or service fits naturally into that conversation.

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