Beauty: Beauty Bites Back: Doja Cat Turns Lipstick Into a Viral Moment

What is the Doja x MAC Lipstick-Bite Trend?

• Unexpected Product RevealDoja Cat literally biting into a lipstick on the MTV VMAs red carpet turned a product launch into performance art. This bold and playful approach generated instant virality and buzz across social media.

• Edible Luxury as StatementThe lipstick she bit into was an edible chocolate-coated replica crafted by Amaury Guichon, fusing culinary artistry with beauty marketing. It turned a beauty product into a sensory, multi-dimensional experience.

Why It Is the Topic Trending: Red Carpet Meets Brand Theater

• Shock Factor MarketingThe stunt played with audience expectations, creating an unmissable moment that dominated social feeds. By breaking the norms of beauty advertising, it reframed how brands can announce partnerships.

• Celebrity Power + Cultural RelevanceDoja Cat’s unapologetic, avant-garde persona amplified the moment’s impact, cementing MAC’s alignment with boundary-pushing creativity and pop culture relevance.

Overview: Performance Art as Beauty Marketing

MAC used a cultural moment — the VMAs red carpet — to transform a typical brand announcement into a viral spectacle. The activation bridged fashion, beauty, and edible art, perfectly aligning with Doja’s reputation for blending music, art, and shock value.

Detailed Findings: Bite-Sized Brand Brilliance

• MAC Ambassadorship RevealThe stunt marked Doja Cat’s official role as MAC’s newest global ambassador, signaling a focus on fearless, bold beauty.

• Crafted by a Culinary ArtistPastry chef Amaury Guichon designed the edible lipstick, elevating the stunt beyond gimmickry into an artful collaboration.

• Fashion & Makeup SynergyDoja’s Balmain mini dress, mega-platform yellow heels, and signature cat-eye tied the whole look into a cohesive narrative — a carefully styled moment designed to make headlines.

Key Success Factors of Product Trend: Performance-Driven Beauty

• Cultural Moment CreationThe collaboration leveraged a major pop culture event to ensure immediate mass awareness.

• Multi-Sensory EngagementCombining sight (red carpet), taste (chocolate lipstick), and spectacle created deeper audience immersion and shareability.

• Brand-Artist AlignmentMAC’s identity as a brand that champions artistry and subversion aligned seamlessly with Doja’s creative persona, making the partnership feel authentic.

Key Takeaway: Virality as a Marketing Strategy

This moment highlights how modern beauty brands must think beyond traditional campaigns and create cultural moments. MAC and Doja Cat proved that theatricality and playfulness can drive both brand relevance and conversation.

Core Trend: Beauty as Spectacle

The collaboration underscores the rise of beauty marketing as performance art, where brand announcements double as entertainment and social media fuel.

Description of the Trend: Lipstick Goes Live

This trend is about turning product launches into viral stunts that combine creativity, celebrity, and interactive elements. The goal is to make beauty newsworthy and Instagram/TikTok-ready.

Key Characteristics of the Core Trend: Bold, Playful, Shareable

• Disruptive VisualsThe stunt relied on an instantly recognizable, meme-worthy action — biting a lipstick — designed to be clipped, shared, and remixed online.

• Cross-Disciplinary CollaborationInvolving a master chocolatier added a luxury twist and made the stunt stand out from typical influencer campaigns.

• Celebrity-Led ActivationUsing a cultural provocateur like Doja Cat amplified its reach and credibility with younger consumers.

Market and Cultural Signals Supporting the Trend: Beauty Breaks the Rules

• Rise of Stunt MarketingBrands like MAC are embracing theatrical, stunt-based reveals to cut through the noise of digital marketing.

• Gen Z’s Appetite for Shareable MomentsYounger audiences crave brand experiences that are playful, unexpected, and worth posting — not just product photos.

What is Consumer Motivation: Tapping Into the Thrill

• Desire for EntertainmentConsumers aren’t just buying products; they want to be entertained and feel part of a cultural moment.

• Status & Social SharingSharing Doja Cat’s stunt becomes a way for fans to signal they’re in on the latest pop culture moment, reinforcing brand buzz.

What is Motivation Beyond the Trend: Creative Rebellion

• Breaking Beauty NormsThe campaign challenges polished, conventional beauty ads, appealing to consumers who value originality and rule-breaking creativity.

• Emotional ConnectionThe humor and playfulness evoke delight, strengthening brand affinity and encouraging loyalty.

Descriptions of Consumers: The Culture-First Beauty Fan

Consumer Summary:These consumers are digitally native, trend-aware, and see beauty as a form of identity expression. They value creativity and authenticity and are more likely to engage with brands that spark conversation.

• Who They Are: Gen Z and Millennials, pop culture enthusiasts, beauty lovers.

• Age: 18–35, highly engaged with social media and fashion/beauty trends.

• Gender: Primarily women but includes all gender identities that use makeup as self-expression.

• Income: Mid-level spenders who splurge on products tied to cultural relevance.

• Lifestyle: Socially active, highly online, looking for content that can double as entertainment and conversation starters.

How the Trend Is Changing Consumer Behavior: Beauty as Event

• Expectations for Launches Are HigherConsumers expect spectacle, surprise, or interactivity when a brand announces something big.

• More Brand-Celebrity CollaborationsThe success of this stunt will push other brands to partner with bold, provocative figures to create viral marketing moments.

Implications of the Trend Across the Ecosystem: Red Carpet as Runway for Brands

• For Consumers: A more immersive and entertaining experience that makes them feel part of the moment.

• For Brands & CPGs: Pressure to innovate beyond digital ads and create cultural moments that demand attention.

• For Retailers: Opportunity to tie in-store activations or limited-edition products to viral campaigns for deeper engagement.

Strategic Forecast: The Future of Stunt Marketing

• Integration of Edible Art: Expect more brands to explore edible or sensory props to stand out.

• Live-Streamed Product Reveals: Real-time experiences with celebrity participation will drive engagement.

• Short-Form Video Dominance: TikTok and Reels will remain the primary distribution channels for these spectacles.

Areas of Innovation: Viral-First Beauty Strategies

• Limited-Edition Edible Products – Turning product lines into edible PR moments that double as collector’s items.

• Gamified Red Carpet Events – Adding interactive fan participation for product reveals.

• Crossover with Culinary Arts – Leveraging chefs and chocolatiers to blur the line between beauty and food.

• Personalized Shareable Content – AR filters allowing fans to recreate the stunt virtually.

• Pop-Up Installations – Creating physical spaces where fans can “bite the lipstick” for their own viral moment.

Summary of Trends

• Core Consumer Trend: Culture-Driven Consumption — Consumers prioritize products that are connected to cultural and entertainment moments.

• Core Social Trend: Virality as Currency — Being first to share a viral moment becomes a social status marker.

• Core Strategy: Spectacle-First Marketing — Brands must create moments designed for immediate social sharing.

• Core Industry Trend: Blurred Lines Between Industries — Food, fashion, and beauty collaborations create multi-sensory experiences.

• Core Consumer Motivation: Playful Participation — The need to be delighted, surprised, and engaged by the brands they love.

Final Thought: When Beauty Takes a Bite

Doja Cat and MAC’s lipstick stunt proves that the future of beauty marketing lies in creating moments that are not just seen but experienced. By blending humor, creativity, and cultural relevance, brands can move beyond passive advertising into active, shareable entertainment.

Source: https://iol.co.za/lifestyle/style-beauty/2025-09-09-why-doja-cat-took-a-bite-out-of-her-red-lipstick-at-the-2025-mtv-vmas/