After having made Brandstorm into one of the world’s major competitions for students with over 154,000 participants from more than 60 countries in 26 years, L’Oréal transforms its business game into a unique experience of innovation.
In 2018, L’Oréal Levant decided to propose a new, more innovative national edition. Students from AUB, LAU and ESA were put on a mission to enhance the professional salon experience of the future. Out of 171 applicants, 39 have been selected for their edgy and creative ideas to compete nationally.
To choose the finalist who will compete on an international level in Paris, L’Oréal Levant held its national competition at the Smallville hotel on April 13. Hidden from the city, contestants were waiting to be discovered at The Secret Garden. As imagination and creativity roamed the stage, only one team left with the opportunity to win 10,000 euros in France and possibly be recruited by L’Oréal in Lebanon!
Members of the jury including L’Oréal Levant’s Managing Director, meticulously rated the different projects and announced the winning team shortly after the presentations.
Congratulations to the winning team, Nadine Bourji, Dalia Hneidi, and Yara Hobballah, from the American University of Beirut, who will soon fly to Paris for a final round with all the finalists from all over the world.
Entrepreneurship and innovation are two strong pillars of L’Oréal’s identity. Thanks to Brandstorm, students put themselves into the shoes of startuppers. Their challenge? Innovate first, in order to meet the actual needs and challenges faced by L’Oréal.
“Constantly looking for new talents, L’Oréal is particularly interested in entrepreneurial and groundbreaking profiles, and Brandstorm is an extraordinary tool for identifying the most promising Lebanese talents. L’Oréal Levant intends to give greater importance to this competition, and looks forward to sharing this enriching experience with even more Lebanese universities in the coming years,” said Cybele Badaoui, L’Oréal Levant Human Resources Director
From the students’ perspective, working on innovation in a test and learn mode is increasingly attractive: The number of candidates to the adventure has more than doubled the last 2 years. Brandstorm is a genuine learning process contrary to hackathons, which only offer a short-term learning experience. L’Oréal is committed to providing participants with exclusive educational resources and personalized coaching from L’Oréal’s professionals and partners.