CoverGirl is an American cosmetics brand founded in Maryland, United States, by the Noxzema Chemical Company and acquired by Procter & Gamble in 1989 and later acquired by Coty, Inc. in 2016. The Noxell Company advertised this cosmetics line by allowing "cover girls", fashion models, actresses, and singers who appear on the front cover of women's magazines, to wear its products. CoverGirl makes up for lack of direct individual customer service by providing a wide variety of cosmetics available at reasonable prices.
History
In 1963, model (and later, actress) Jennifer O'Neill signed on as CoverGirl spokeswoman at the age of sixteen, appearing in both print and television advertising that year. Her unprecedented thirty-year endorsement of the product catapulted CoverGirl into the top-selling makeup line in the country.
Cybill Shepherd was one of CoverGirl's earliest models, appearing in several print and television advertisements for the brand. In contrast to the "made-up" looking fashion models of the late 1960s, Shepherd demonstrated a fresh, wholesome look, appealing to a younger consumer's taste. These advertisements established the "girl-next-door" look that CoverGirl would become associated with.
CoverGirl's first product line, Clean Makeup, launched in 1961. It was nominated America's best cosmetic brand. Originally offering only six products, it was advertised as being a "medicated face makeup" as it used Noxzema's medicated ingredients of camphor, menthol, and eucalyptus. Sales of the line increased during 1985 due to an advertising campaign featuring supermodel Christie Brinkley. In 1997, Covergirl launched what is now the famous slogan, “Easy, breezy, beautiful…†This was their best way to express how their products were and would essentially give you a natural look. It eventually led to an increase of sales, and a larger audience of teenage girls was effectively targeted. The products of the line are still in production, and continue changing as new ideas come along.
Also representing CoverGirl are Drew Barrymore, Zooey Deschanel, Ellen DeGeneres, Dania Ramirez, Christobelle Grierson-Ryrie, Rihanna, Queen Latifah, Sofia Vergara, Taylor Swift, Zendaya, Janelle Monáe, and Pink, who touts the company's foundation product.
CoverGirl was one of the largest global brands to conduct animal testing but that is no longer the case.
In January 2010, Procter & Gamble launched "Clean Makeup for Clean Water", a charitable program aimed toward providing clean drinking water to places and people in need. Dania Ramirez is the newest spokesmodel for CoverGirl's Clean Makeup Sensitive formula, a campaign for CoverGirl's partnership with Children's Safe Drinking Water. With the help of the Clean Makeup line, CoverGirl has donated $500,000 to the program, which provided 50 million liters of drinking water to children across the world.
Competition
CoverGirl is sold primarily in drugstores, convenience stores, and supermarkets. Maybelline Cosmetics (owned by L'Oréal), is CoverGirl's biggest competition, as both companies market to similar groups of consumers, and sell their products at similar prices. Examples of more expensive cosmetic competitors sold in drugstores and supermarkets include Revlon, Almay, Neutrogena, L'Oréal, and Max Factor, (Max Factor is the sister brand of CoverGirl). Less expensive competitors in drugstores include NYC Cosmetics and Wet 'n' Wild Cosmetics.
Endorsers
Lana Ogilvie
In 1992, Cover Girl became the first major cosmetic company to sign a black model to an exclusive contract. Canadian Lana Ogilvie became the first black woman to represent a non-ethnic cosmetics company, and opened the door for traditionally Caucasian-focused brands to embrace different cultures and ethnicities in their brand. Today most major brands have one or more black models or celebrities under contract.
Celebrities
Many successful models have represented CoverGirl Cosmetics, including Tyra Banks and Carrie Tivador. Singers and actresses, like Katy Perry, Brandy, Molly Sims, Faith Hill, Queen Latifah, Rihanna, Keri Russell, Taylor Swift, Dania Ramirez, and Drew Barrymore have also represented the cosmetic line. Because of Jennifer O'Neill's successful thirty-year relationship with CoverGirl as spokeswoman, her face has become widely recognized as the face of CoverGirl.
Christie Brinkley modeled for the company for 25 years, the longest running cosmetics contract of any model in history. Recently she was rehired to represent their Advanced Radiance Age-Defying Liquid Makeup foundation. Also, YouTube star James Charles became the first male model, and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has been featured as the model for Simply Ageless cosmetic products. Recently, CoverGirl has contracted American gymnasts Alicia Sacramone, Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin to represent CoverGirl, the first athletes to do so. CoverGirl had also given a $100,000 contract to the winners of Cycle 3 through 18 of the popular modeling reality television show, America's Next Top Model, made Eva Pigford, Naima Mora, Nicole Linkletter, Danielle Evans, CariDee English, Jaslene Gonzalez, Saleisha Stowers, Whitney Thompson, McKey Sullivan, Teyona Anderson, Nicole Fox, Krista White, Ann Ward, Brittani Kline, Lisa D'Amato, and Sophie Sumner official Covergirls.
In 2011, Paula Patton, Jessica Stam, Taylor Swift and SofÃa Vergara were named the new faces of CoverGirl.
In early 2012, a CoverGirl commercial starring Sofia Vergara and Ellen DeGeneres began airing on national television. The commercial was featured, and promoted by both women on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
In August 2012, Pink and Janelle Monáe were chosen as the newest spokeswomen for CoverGirl.
In June 2013, Nervo became the spokeswomen for CoverGirl.
In September 2013, Katy Perry was chosen to become the newest CoverGirl. Her pose has compared of Nike Ardilla's album Suara Hatiku.
In July 2014, Becky G became the face of CoverGirl and featured their products in her music videos.
In January 2016, Zendaya was announced as the newest CoverGirl.
In October 2016, YouTuber and 17 year old James Charles was named as the first ever male spokesperson for the brand.
In September 2017, Ayesha Curry was added as a spokesperson for the CoverGirl brand. Curry is the first CoverGirl spokesperson who is not an actress, singer, or entertainer.
Publishers
The authors and publishers of 2006 novel Cathy's Book agreed with P&G to include references to the makeup line in exchange for promoting the book on its self care BeingGirl web site.
Charity
In April 2011, CoverGirl supported the Procter & Gamble Children's Safe Drinking Water campaign. CoverGirl donated all its proceeds from the sale of the special powders, which got launched for the 50th anniversary of the company, to the campaign.
CoverGirl has also several times given checks to people in need featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, most recently to the cancer-diagnosed Talia Castellano, a 13-year-old girl wishing to be a make-up artist. DeGeneres also announced on her show that CoverGirl chose Castellano to be an honorary CoverGirl. She died on July 16, 2013 after losing her battle with cancer.
References
External links
- CoverGirl brand homepage
- Foltz, Kim (1992-05-24), All About/Cover Girls; The Look That Sells Is Both Girl-Next-Door and Celebrity, The New York Times, archived from the original on retrieved 2012-10-29, retrieved 2012-10-29Â
- Ellen Tries To Open CoverGirl Makeup (Simply Ageless Foundation), YouTube, 2009-01-14, retrieved 2012-10-29Â
- Coty Completes Merger With P&G Specialty Beauty Business, Coty Inc., 2016-10-03, retrieved 2017-02-13Â
