We helped COVERGIRL redefine beauty by celebrating self-expression and transformation, turning makeup into a powerful tool of individuality and inclusivity.
After nearly 60 years of being easy, breezy and beautiful, COVERGIRL saw the market shifting around it. The culture of makeup had fundamentally changed, but few of the time-tested brands knew how to respond.
At a time when mass beauty desperately needed to modernize its messaging, we helped one of the world’s largest brands make a statement about what makeup really is. Because Makeup isn’t vain or superficial—in fact, millions of people use it to express themselves. To transform themselves. To accent the person who they already are. Because you are what you make up.
This insight introduced us to a whole new approach to everything. From casting commercials to photographing products, we could celebrate makeup as a powerful tool of self-creation.
We made the women of our campaign subjects, not just objects.We introduced a diverse new cast of COVERGIRLs that included women often left out of mainstream beauty narratives—black, latinx, and older women—and honored the unique role of beauty in their lives.
The story was reported across the spheres of beauty and culture, announcing our vision to the public with stories that highlighted the individuality and transformation we championed. But we didn't stop there. We became the first large brand to go completely cruelty-free, and petitioned the rest of the industry to join us by using makeup selfies as petition signatures.