Within moments, a film studio disappears behind moss, flowers and layers of translucent fabric. At the centre of this almost motionless landscape is Selena Gomez, while the nymph from Greek mythology becomes a metaphor for the moment when a person stops hiding parts of themselves.
With this scene, Rare Beauty presented the global Rare Beginnings campaign this week, named after the second fragrance in the brand’s portfolio. Instead of the fast cuts and heightened energy characteristic of much beauty advertising, the new film creates a slower and more intimate visual world.
The central 45-second spot was directed by Hans Neumann. Footage of nature is projected onto translucent materials, while the set gradually transforms into a space between a real studio and a mythological garden. The idea of the nymph is not used as a literal story from ancient mythology, but as a symbol of opening up, vulnerability and discovering one’s own identity.
The same approach was also applied to the campaign photography. Gomez and the fragrance bottle are shown in calm, almost painterly compositions, without a sense of movement or visual overload. In this way, atmosphere becomes more important than a traditional product demonstration, relying on the mood and identity that the fragrance is intended to represent.
The campaign is running across social media, digital channels, out-of-home advertising and retail spaces in key markets. It was developed in collaboration with the agency Fred & Farid Paris, the brand’s long-term creative partner. Its Los Angeles office also worked on Rare Beauty’s first global brand campaign, Every Side of You, presented in 2024.
Rare Beginnings continues the brand positioning built around accepting one’s own appearance and identity, but this time it does not explain that message through words. It transforms it into space, rhythm and atmosphere.
Although Rare Beauty expanded its distribution to Ulta Beauty at the beginning of the year, the new fragrance is available exclusively at Sephora stores. The selective launch allows the brand to keep the product experience in an environment where scent, testing and physical presentation play a greater role in the purchasing decision.
