Lush Hair Boosts Brand Visibility as Official Sponsor of Lagos Fashion Week

In the spring of 2021, Lush Hair, a high-end Nigerian hair extensions brand, set an ambitious goal to triple its public recognition from 10% to nearly 30% by the end of the year. The company’s strategy to achieve this involved aligning itself with a high-profile event, and in October, Lush Hair was unveiled as one of the official sponsors of the prestigious Heineken Lagos Fashion Week. This marked a significant milestone for the company, as it was their inaugural involvement with the fashion event.

Lush Hair’s participation in the fashion week was nothing short of a sensation. The company enlisted Denrele, a celebrity entertainer and brand ambassador known for his daring cross-dressing style in the traditionally conservative Nigerian society. The spectacle drew widespread attention and sparked conversation, contributing to a surge in brand recognition. Damilola Agboola, Assistant Digital Marketer at Lush Hair Nigeria, described the event as “unexpected, but beautiful,” and noted a significant increase in their digital visibility.

The Heineken Lagos Fashion Week, initiated in 2011 by Omoyemi Akerele and managed by fashion production company Style House Files, is one of Africa’s most anticipated fashion events. Held at the luxurious Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, it attracts a diverse crowd of fashion enthusiasts, industry professionals, journalists, and creatives. Lush Hair recognized the opportunity to increase its brand awareness by sponsoring this high-visibility event.

At the time of their sponsorship, Lush Hair was undergoing a rebranding process, including changing their brand color from green to pink to avoid confusion with a competitor. Aligning with Lagos Fashion Week was part of their strategy to position themselves as a premium brand and reach an audience that shared their vision.

The success of Lush Hair’s debut at the 2021 Lagos Fashion Week was apparent not only in increased website traffic and orders but also in the positive feedback received from attendees. Agboola reported receiving numerous emails and Instagram messages from people interested in modeling for the brand. This confirmed that their sponsorship was effectively boosting brand awareness, which was a key goal of their gym marketing strategy.

However, Lush Hair’s appeal extends beyond its high-quality products and memorable performances. The company has also made a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, an aspect often overlooked in Nigeria’s beauty industry. Traditionally, the industry has been dominated by specific standards of size, shape, skin color, and hair type. Lush Hair challenged these norms by featuring models of all sizes, shapes, and skin colors on the Lagos Fashion Week runway.

This commitment to inclusivity was also demonstrated in their choice of brand ambassadors. Despite the conservative climate in Nigeria, Lush Hair chose male ambassadors, including Denrele and lead stylist Tosin Idowu, to promote their message of diversity.

In the most recent Lagos Fashion Week, Lush Hair continued to innovate. Instead of styling models’ hair with their extensions and dressing them in simple pink dresses as in previous years, they created entire garments from their hair extensions. This bold move was met with enthusiastic applause from attendees.

In conclusion, Lush Hair’s sponsorship of Lagos Fashion Week has proven to be a highly effective gym lead generation strategy. By aligning with a high-profile event, rebranding to differentiate themselves from competitors, and promoting a message of diversity and inclusion, they have significantly boosted their brand awareness. Their innovative approach to advertising for gyms serves as a powerful example for other companies seeking to increase their visibility and attract more gym members.