Refy Beauty’s “Iconic Never Gets Old” London Underground OOH Campaign

Refy Beauty’s “Iconic Never Gets Old” Underground Takeover

In 2025, Refy Beauty made a confident statement across London Underground with its Out of Home campaign titled “Iconic Never Gets Old.”

Timed to coincide with the launch of the brand’s new Lip Stick collection and a retail collaboration with Space NK, the campaign did more than promote a product. It positioned Refy at the centre of a wider cultural conversation around age, beauty and representation.

The Big Idea: Beauty Evolves

At its core, “Iconic Never Gets Old” challenged one of the beauty industry’s longest-standing narratives that youth equals relevance.

Set against the clean, minimalist backdrop of Tube stations, the creative featured a lineup of women spanning different ages, backgrounds and personal styles. The visuals were bold but restrained, with stripped-back compositions that allowed the subjects to take centre stage.

Rather than leaning into exaggerated glamour or heavy retouching, the portraits embraced wrinkles, silver hair, natural texture and individuality. The result felt authentic, confident and unapologetic.

Strategic Location: Why the Underground Worked

Choosing the London Underground as the primary canvas was a strategic decision. The network offers exceptionally high daily footfall, diverse demographic reach and long dwell times across platforms and escalators. It is not just a transport system but a shared cultural space within the city.

By placing the campaign here, Refy ensured exposure to a broad cross-section of Londoners, from students and creatives to professionals and tourists. The minimalist creative approach helped the work cut through the visual noise of commuter environments. Clean backgrounds and strong portraiture meant the message was instantly readable, even in busy stations.

From Product Launch to Cultural Moment

While the campaign supported the launch of Refy’s new Lip Stick collection, the product never overshadowed the message. Instead, the lipstick became a symbol of expression rather than transformation. This aligned closely with Refy’s broader philosophy that makeup should enhance rather than mask.

The collaboration with Space NK added commercial weight. As a respected beauty retailer with a loyal customer base, the partnership bridged brand storytelling with retail intent. Consumers inspired by the campaign could easily translate awareness into purchase, ensuring the work delivered both brand equity and sales opportunity.

Creative Simplicity as a Strength

One of the most effective elements of the campaign was its restraint.

The tagline “Iconic Never Gets Old” worked as both a brand statement and a cultural declaration. It felt aspirational yet inclusive.

There were no cluttered layouts or overcomplicated messaging. Strong typography, confident portraiture and generous use of space gave the campaign presence. In an environment where commuters are constantly bombarded with information, simplicity became its greatest strength. The Underground takeover felt less like a traditional advertising push and more like a curated gallery installation.

Extending OOH into Digital

Importantly, the campaign did not end at the station walls.

Refy’s social caption, “Tag us if you see us around the city,” bridged the gap between offline and online environments. By encouraging commuters to share sightings across Instagram and TikTok, the brand transformed passersby into participants.

This approach extended the campaign’s reach beyond paid media, reinforced its cultural relevance and strengthened community engagement. The physical placements sparked attention, while social media amplified momentum.

Why the Campaign Worked

The success of “Iconic Never Gets Old” lay in its clarity and confidence. The message was bold yet easy to understand. It tapped into a timely conversation around age diversity without feeling forced or performative.

The environment amplified the message rather than distracting from it, and the retail partnership ensured visibility translated into accessibility. Most importantly, the campaign remained consistent with Refy’s established minimalist aesthetic, reinforcing brand identity rather than reinventing it.

In transforming London’s Underground into a platform for age-inclusive beauty, Refy demonstrated that impactful out of home advertising does not need to be loud to be powerful.

Sometimes, the most resonant campaigns are those that state a simple truth and allow the audience to see themselves reflected in it.