Unexpired: Alix Earle and Pantene Take Us Back to Our Roots
Did our favorite influencer just…deinfluence us?
Back in December, Alix Earle posted a quick TikTok saying her hair had never felt better — and all she’d used was an old, expired bottle of Pantene she found in her parent’s shower. No brand deal. No scripted ad. Just a super chill video that instantly took off.
The internet listened, and so did Pantene.
Instead of letting the moment fade, Pantene leaned into it. And now, months later, we have Unexpired Pantene — a limited-edition collection that was born from an authentic, off-the-cuff moment. The message? “If it worked that well expired… imagine it unexpired.” It’s playful, self-aware, and totally in tune with what beauty consumers are already talking about.
Let’s zoom out. This campaign didn’t just hit because of who Alix Earle is (though her 7M+ followers don’t hurt). It hit because it tapped into a larger shift we’re seeing across the board: the drugstore comeback.
For years, the beauty industry pushed a narrative that premium = better. If your shampoo wasn’t $60 and sitting on a salon shelf, it couldn’t possibly give you good hair. But post-pandemic spending habits, rising inflation, and a growing collective eye-roll toward overhyped products have changed that.
People are now questioning the markup, the ingredients, and the endless stream of “must-haves” cluttering their routines. People want transparency, simplicity, and value — and they’re not afraid to ditch prestige brands if a $7 bottle from the drugstore gets the job done.
It’s tempting to see deinfluencing as a rejection of consumerism, but that’s not really it. It’s not about buying nothing — it’s about buying smarter. Alix didn’t tell us to stop using hair products altogether. She just showed us that you don’t need to spend $60 to get good results.
Pantene took that cue and didn’t just sell us a product — they told a story. One that aligned with a real shift in consumer mindset.
And honestly? That’s the kind of marketing that sticks.