McKnight Twins Bring ITK to Walmart

Social media personalities and identical twins Brooklyn and Bailey McKnight launched a line of skincare essentials exclusively at Walmart aimed at keeping Gen Z shoppers "in the know." Developed by the McKnights with beauty incubator Maesa, ITK (“in the know”) rolled out to 3,800 Walmart stores and Walmart.com in late August and encompasses 15 products made for different skin types. Ranging from $6.97 to $14.97 in price, the line includes a clay color-changing mask, a nightly clarifying serum and a milk-to-foam cleanser. All products are vegan, cruelty-free, dermatologist tested, plus free from artificial fragrances, sulfates and parabens. In stores, the SKUs are merchandised on a corrugated endcap display with a dark purple background and the “ITK” logo die-cut out in white. The display also depicts a photo of the sisters and encourages shoppers to “stay in the know about skincare” and follow the brand online @stayITK. Products on the display are arranged by category — cleansers, toners and serums, plus treatments. Bringing a technology element to ITK’s launch, QR codes appear on all of the line’s bottles and boxes. Scanning a box with a mobile device takes shoppers to a 3D augmented reality experience allowing them to interact with the bottle and review recommendations for other products within the line. Similarly, if a customer scans the code on the bottle, it takes them to an at-home AR experience sharing product information on key ingredients and benefits, as well as depicting a photo of the sisters to take a selfie in a mirror with. ITK’s mission is to provide its mainly Gen Z consumers with access to knowledge so they can understand what their skin needs and stay “in the know” about products they can trust, according to a media release from the brand. "We hope that with ITK we can help rewrite the average skincare routine, making it accessible price wise, and conceptually. We want our audience to understand what they're applying and why," Bailey McKnight said in the release. "For the past two years, we've relied on our audience to guide us in this journey in hopes of creating a skincare brand that is truly inclusive for all consumers. Skincare is a personal journey, and we've kept this at ITK's core since the start." The McKnights are best known for their vlogs that have gotten more than 1.5 billion views. In the limelight since they were 14 years old, the now 22-year-old sisters have built a highly engaged community that is ITK's prime target — and partial cocreators. To conceptualize, formulate and create the brand, the McKnights asked their community what they were looking for in skincare and the sisters received nearly 1 million responses to review. The sisters additionally tapped their social media followers to create a small group called the ITK Crew to test the products on diverse skin tones and types. The group was created after sisters called out to fans on social media, encouraging them to apply if they wanted to be part of a secret project. From nearly 10,000 submissions, they narrowed it down to 20 people who helped test formulas along the way. The group was included in the marketing campaign at launch. Dedicated StayITK Instagram, Facebook and TikTok accounts promote the products with several updates plugging product benefits and the ITK Crew, and directing shoppers to Walmart for purchase. A brand website, StayITK.com, a banner ad within Walmart.com, and YouTube videos from Brooklyn and Bailey (see one below) also support the launch. "Walmart is committed to expanding its assortment and bringing in new brands that will resonate with our customers," said Creighton Kiper, vice president, merchandising, beauty, Walmart U.S., in the release. "That is why we are so excited to welcome Brooklyn and Bailey's customer-inspired ITK line to our growing aisle of high-quality skincare products at accessible prices." The TikTok sensations added their names to the beauty industry in 2018 with the launch of their Lash Next Door Mascara, which is still on the market, and later a clothing line. "We're so excited to finally launch ITK in Walmart, a retailer that our audience knows for its convenience, quality, and affordability," Brooklyn McKnight, a licensed aesthetician, said in the release. "Together, we want to simplify skincare and help create habits for healthier skin. Life is complicated enough; skincare doesn't have to be."

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