A team from Newcastle University has won the opportunity to represent the UK in a business game - Brandstorm - in Paris, used by international cosmetics company L’Oreal to find talented graduates.

At the UK finals held at L’Oreal’s Hammersmith offices on Tuesday night, Team Devolution impressed a panel of industry judges during their presentation on how to revamp the marketing of Diesel, one of L’Oreal’s brands. 

Thomas Riegel, L’Oreal’s recruitment director, told Recruiter that while Brandstorm was great fun, it also had a serious purpose. “It is one of the [company’s] most important and valuable sources for recruitment,” he said. 

In the past five years, he added, L’Oreal had recruited about 12 management trainees and interns in London alone. 

Riegel said that the event provided L’Oreal recruitment with powerful insights into potential employees.

“Over the weeks of preparations and briefings of the teams we get to know them well – it is impressive to see what they learn during this time.

“Furthermore, participating in Brandstorm shows a lot of initiative, requires creativity and entrepreneurship – some of the most important criteria for a successful career in L’Oreal.”

Since Brandstorm began in 1993 more than 30,000 student graduates from more than 40 countries have participated.