With CoverGirl overhaul, Coty brand focuses on makeup as self-expression

NEW YORK — Coty has unveiled the reinvention of one of its flagship brands. The company has retooled CoverGirl, starting with a new expression of its purpose, “I Am What I Make Up.”

The brand’s aim is to inspire consumers to embrace their identities and create the version of themselves they want to be with makeup by celebrating authenticity, diversity and expressiveness. It also will eschew unrealistic and idealized standards often seen in the beauty category, the company said.

“In leading the relaunch, we started with the insight that people no longer strive for a singular standard of beauty, but use makeup as a tool for self-expression and personal transformation,” Coty SVP CoverGirl Ukonwa Ojo said. “CoverGirl has always been inclusive and is known for pushing the boundaries of what it means to be beautiful, which means we have a responsibility to elevate how we connect and communicate with people. This is bigger than a new campaign or a tagline. We hope to spark a provocative dialogue that shifts cultural assumptions about when, where, how and why people wear makeup.”

The brand is starting its conversation with its consumers with a  long-form film, “Made in the Mirror,” which features six of its CoverGirls, several of whom were recently announced, including writer and creator of HBO’s “Insecure” Issa Rae, Katy Perry, personal trainer Massy Arias and TV personality and chef Ayesha Curry. The film highlights the accomplishments of the CoverGirls and their abilities to empower and inspire as representatives of the brand’s vision.

“The new CoverGirl positioning is an important example of Coty’s purpose to celebrate and liberate the diversity of beauty,” Coty Consumer Beauty president Laurent Kleitman said. “Beauty should make people happy, and when we champion individuality and self-expression, that’s when we see its true power.”