It seems that everyone in the business is talking about the elephant in the living room...that is Drunk Elephant in the beauty world's living room! Of course we are referring to Shiseido Americas Corporation's (a subsidiary of Shiseido) acquisition of clean beauty skincare brand Drunk Elephant for $845 Million early this week.
Founded in 2012 by Tiffany Masterson, Drunk Elephant originally gained traction with millennial and Gen Z consumers with its clean, nontoxic ingredients and grew into an aesthetically pleasing brand with a full range of consumer demographics. With its strong, loyal following, Drunk Elephant is now poised for further growth as it is introduced to more consumers around the world.
“We are thrilled to announce the acquisition of Drunk Elephant, one of the fastest-growing prestige skincare brands in history. This transaction is squarely aligned with Shiseido’s VISION 2020 goal of accelerating growth and creating value through strategic partnerships. Drunk Elephant’s approach strongly resonates with its highly engaged and loyal consumers, who value the integrity and effectiveness of Drunk Elephant’s formulations combined with a fun, curious approach. I am confident that under Marc Rey’s leadership in the Americas and Shiseido’s global platform and unique resources, we will strongly support Drunk Elephant on its ongoing growth trajectory. I am very pleased to welcome Tiffany and the Drunk Elephant team to the Shiseido family and together, pursue our long-term mission of “Beauty Innovations for a Better World,” said Shiseido’s president and CEO Masahiko Uotani.
Drunk Elephant founder Tiffany Masterson will remain the company's chief creative officer and president. “I started this business as an industry outsider, and from the beginning I did things a little differently. To join with a powerhouse beauty company such as Shiseido that leads the industry in innovation and global excellence is a dream come true for me and for Drunk Elephant. We share similar values, most importantly an unwavering commitment to the consumer. I chose a partner who will let the brand continue to be itself, with the same formulations and the same team,” Masterson said.
Both parties benefit from this new agreement. Drunk Elephant will be able to utilize Shiseido’s global platform and resources to expand into new and existing markets both in the Americas and internationally including Europe and Asia. Shiseido’s new acquisition will add to its global portfolio of prestige brands in order to strengthen Shiseido’s leadership in the global prestige skincare market.