A GROUP of students from the University of the Philippines-Visayas were victorious in the L’Oréal Brandstorm 2023: Crack the New Codes of Beauty Philippines National Finals.

The group was one of two national champions who bested over 3,200 teams. They will represent the Philippines in the competition’s International Semifinals.

Team MÈRE BEAUTY, composed of Vince Delfin, Great Martin Mana-ay, and Mikko Apelo, created the campaign “Unconditional Beauty” with the tagline “Unconditional Beauty for Empowered Women.”

“The winning team pitched for the Materna, a device incorporating the power of AI and Metaverse to include mothers in ‘beauty spaces’ where they are recognized and celebrated,” UPV said.

“The team’s inspiration for Materna was their moms who give unconditional love—an epitome of unconditional beauty,” it added.

Meanwhile, nine teams from UPV qualified as Top 24 National Semifinalists, with two of them advancing to the top six National Finals.

The groups were mentored by Prof. Maria Theresa Albaña, Ms. Pearl Gladys Diano, and Mr. Oscar Jinon Jr.

This year’s contest centered on “beauty tech,” or the invention of beauty products, services, experiences, and solutions empowered by up-to-date technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and the Metaverse.

L’Oréal Brandstorm is a global business and innovation challenge that offers students pedagogical and professional experience in tackling a real business case in the beauty industry.

It provides them with the opportunity to innovate new ideas and work as a brand leader for the international make-up beauty brand, L’Oréal.