18th June New Delhi : MARS Cosmetics, India’s fastest-growing beauty brand, wrapped up the first MARS Premier League (MPL), a new beauty pageant that brought the thrill of cricket and the craft of cosmetics together. Out of the hyperactivity of the IPL season, MPL was designed to tap into topical moments that would resonate with the brand’s young and fiercely committed fan base and bring two separate worlds, cricket and cosmetics, onto one high-thrill platform.
From the start of MARS Cosmetics’ core value of “Makeup for Everyone,” the MARS Premier League, a luxury platform wherein competition winners had the opportunity to express their imagination in a fast-paced vehicle similar to sport. The competitors were invited to represent one of eight IPL sets, each to be matched against the City Paradise Eyeshadow Palettes brand, by designing dramatic make-up art infused with the atmosphere and the spirit of their cities.
Rishabh Sethia Business Administrator MARS Cosmetics founder “We’re always looking at opportunities to pair beauty with moments in culture that truly resonate with our fans. The IPL is a sporting event, of course, but it’s also a celebration of passion, community, and high-level energy. We brought that same energy into the world of makeup with the MARS Premier League. It was not competition; it was a moment for creativity, for self-expression, and for everything glamorous.”
The competition assessed participants in four rounds, with the first three rounds done online and open to all competitors from across the country. Not only could the fans vote for their favorite, but it was an overall extremely interactive competition. The final round was offline and consisted of creators and influencers, as well as a jury of experts including Aditi Dubey, Vandana Sehgal, and MPL veteran Anupreet Bakshi.
Anupreet of Delhi was declared the winner for her artistic talent, creativity, and steady flair, which impressed the audience and judges equally. Anupreet won a ₹100,000 cash award, the opportunity for a red carpet walk at the Bollywood Hungama Style Icon Awards, and a meet-and-greet with Varun Dhawan. Influencer reach and touchpoint engagement were very important at the awards event. At the finale, influencers were getting involved in specially designed activities, for example, a DIY “Mirror, Mirror” center and a colorful nail art lounge. Both were created to inspire influencers to channel their inner artist and generate moments they can share on their channels.
While MARS remains quiet about whether it will make the MARS Premier League an annual event, triumph in this very first year has already set a new benchmark for beauty marketing that harmonizes cultural sensitivity, entertainment, and mutual social connection in just the same way that MARS can.
