This season, Maybelline New York extended its involvement with fashion weeks around the world by signing on as makeup sponsor of World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto, happening next week at David Pecaut Square.

Katie Green, brand communications manager, Maybelline New York/Garnier at L’Oréal Canada, tells MiC the brand is activating with how-to makeup sessions in Shoppers Drug Marts across the city, print ads in publications including The Grid and the launch of a YouTube channel, which will live-stream 20 of the week’s shows.

“We have a pretty broad demographic, but we are a fun, young brand and pretty urban,” she says. “I think this association will make a lot of sense for people. We want consumers to see the tie to the world of fashion so we can be the trend translator.”

The partnership was put together by ZenithOptimedia with creative by Marketel and is extended from a similar initiative L’Oréal has done with fashion week in New York City for the past two years, says Green.

“The YouTube channel means the shows won’t only be accessed by the industry,” she says.

Renee Bulgin, media solutions lead, YouTube, says the program is the largest live-streaming initiative done so far in Canada.

“This kind of partnership is something we want to see grow more and more,” she says. “YouTube is a social site and it has a lot of deep engagement. As a result we want to really offer more deeply integrated opportunities for advertisers.”