Ad of the Day: CoverGirl stands out by featuring a model with vitiligo
The faces of beauty are changing and becoming more diverse, as is evidenced by CoverGirl’s latest ad featuring a model with vitiligo, a skin condition in which the skin loses its pigment cells.
The model, Amy Deanna, is featured in ‘Stand Out,’ the makeup brand’s latest in its #IAmWhatIMakeup campaign by Droga5. In the 15-second spot, Deanna is shown putting on two different tones of the brand’s TruBlend foundation, complementing rather than covering up the lighter and darker hues of her skin. In a voice over, she asks “Why try to blend in when you can choose how to stand out?”
Said Shannon Washington, creative director, Droga5: "Amy had a very soft, yet strong sense of self that any woman can relate to, regardless of appearance. Her confidence — in addition to the fact that she is strikingly beautiful — was the perfect combination."
Deanna is the company’s first spokesmodel with vitiligo, and Neil MacLean, senior art director at Droga5 said that because she wasn't playing a role, "honesty was a crucial part of the story, and we knew she had that from the moment we spoke with her."
Deanna isn’t the first model with vitiligo to bring awareness to the condition, as Winnie Harlow proudly displayed herself in America’s Top Model in 2014, but she is the first for CoverGirl.
"The idea had been floating around for a while, but not in its current form. The inspiration goes back to CoverGirl's 'I Am What I Make Up' platform which rests on largely on both inclusivity and a celebration individuality in beauty. It was less about 'let's get a woman with vitiligo' and more of 'what are beauty stories that aren't being told?'" said Washington.
CoverGirl brought attention to the changing diversity of the brand by naming James Charles as its first CoverBoy in 2016.
The brand’s I Am What I Makeup campaign was designed to spark a cultural conversation and put forth a modernized, revamped CoverGirl to the world, according to Droga5. The first effort for the campaign saw ‘Insecure’ creator Issa Rae gaining confidence with metallic lipsticks.
"Stand Out is a continuation of the groundbreaking work that we launched with the brand in October of 2017, which was lauded for its inclusivity both in front and behind the camera," added Washington.
