Benefit and neuroscientist develop ‘brow reading’ tech

The brand says that recent behavioural studies suggest that eyebrows may be the single most important facial feature for expressing our emotions, and as a result, it has collaborated with facial recognition expert and neuroscientist, Dr Javid Sadr, to come up with the technology.

Dubbed the Benefit Brow Translator, it works via a microsite that uses facial recognition analysis and machine learning to reveal what a person’s eyebrows are saying about ‘innermost feelings’.

“A translator algorithm developed by experts process[es] and calculate[s] eyebrow expressions. Then it pops up the brow "emotional translation" as text in a speech bubble,”​ the company explains.

How it works​

Benefit is making the new tech available as an online version on microsites in 21 languages, allowing consumers around the world to capture and upload photos to be analysed.

The site also allows the user to download their results, and share them across social media - hence opening up a marketing opportunity for the company on a worldwide scale.

The microsite is live here​, and users can head there with pre-taken photos or take one while using the site, use the technology to analyse the picture, and receive their results.

What’s the gain?​

Benefit is looking to build on recent campaigns seen across the beauty industry and elsewhere that add an interactive, fun element to encourage user-generated marketing content.

It follows on from brands that have used Snapchat lenses, L’Oréal leading the way there​, and Shiseido’s ‘share a kiss’ campaign​ on the launch of its Rouge Rouge lipstick collection last year.

On the campaign, Shiseido noted that interactive marketing is becoming crucial when looking to court younger consumer bases.

“​As a brand, creating and increasing touch points of Gen Z is part of our growth plan, and our aim with Rouge Rouge Kiss Me is to make the makeup experience more fun for them​,” Hiroko Ozeki, international business planning head, told Luxury Daily​ .