CoverGirl Is Trying To Win Back GenX

Ask anyone which makeup brand defined the last few decades, and chances are they'll say CoverGirl. It was more than a cosmetics company; it was an institution. Mary Kay was for your mom, but CoverGirl was unmistakably for girls. The marketing was irresistible. What girl didn't dream of being her town's own "CoverGirl”? “Easy, Breezy, Beautiful” felt like a promise. You’re already fresh-faced and pretty; CoverGirl would simply help you look like the best version of yourself. It was effortless beauty, bottled and packaged for the drugstore aisle. A Primer on the Brand’s History In the 1960s, CoverGirl was founded by skincare giant Noxzema. It was that pairing that cemented the brand’s clean, fresh-faced approach to makeup, and it was appealing. Celebrities lined up to become the next CoverGirl spokeswoman. The brand built an entire roster rather than relying on a single face. The 1990s were its golden era , with supermodels like Tyra Banks, Niki Taylor, and Christie Brinkley leading campaigns that defined mainstream beauty. CoverGirl's cultural dominance was so complete that America's Next Top Model made landing a campaign the show's signature prize. To become America's next top model, contestants first had to prove they could sell CoverGirl. In an ironic twist, many of those aspiring models were tasked with promoting products like Outlast lipstick, LashBlast mascara, and Clean Pressed Powder. But despite naming one of its most successful products Outlast , that's exactly what CoverGirl has struggled to do. The mighty have fallen. Once a company that defined beauty for young women, it has completely lost its grip on today's youngest adult generation. The Contours of a New Plan On a recent investors' call, parent company Coty announced that CoverGirl would receive a much-needed makeover to become “the ultimate Gen X brand.” The new strategic vision “Color the Future” will shift focus to elder millennials and Gen X consumers. They now claim to aim for the 40s-50s crowd. According to their reports, they plan to invest more in the products these generations know and love, such as LashBlast mascara, while simultaneously focusing on anti-aging makeup for older, more textured skin. Their new messages will focus on preserving mature skin and aging gracefully. Talk about a switch up. Coty states they’re now going to be “intentional about serving that consumer… rather than trying to be everything to everyone.” But some people aren’t buying it. As one critic points out , “This is a pivot made from a position of weakness, not a visionary land-grab. A struggling mass brand is going back to the customer who was always buying it.” If older women really were their top customer all along, why did they waste so much time, energy, and resources on the younger generation? And they’re not wrong. It's less like a bold reinvention and more like an ex returning after discovering the exciting new relationship didn't work out. CoverGirl isn't embracing mature women because they now want to be "more intentional." It's embracing them because Gen Z kicked them to the curb. But if older women really were their top customer all along, why did they waste so much time, energy, and resources on the younger generation? Missing the (Beauty) Mark CoverGirl has always been the brand for younger women. They just never happened to notice that the girl grew up. And not only did she grow, but the makeup market did as well. What was once a handful of drugstore cosmetic brand names has now exploded into a galaxy of options. Sephora, Ulta, influencer brands, luxury brands, French pharmacy, and K-beauty have all fragmented the market. And our favorite celebrities all have multi-million-dollar makeup deals now, too. The popularity of Fenty by Rihanna, Kylie Cosmetics by Kylie Jenner, and Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez dominates. The market is flooded. Not to mention, it’s not just about having a trustworthy brand anymore. The bigger question becomes: Do you have a TikTok-worthy brand? For CoverGirl, the answer was decidedly no. With brand loyalty at an all-time low, CoverGirl needed a steady hand. Instead, it repeatedly jabbed itself with its own mascara wand. No Concealer Could Hide These Cracks In 2016, CoverGirl decided to take a hard turn and hired James Charles as its “CoverBoy” for their “So Lashy” campaign. Charles stood alongside celebrity women, all donning shirts calling for #LashEquality. Outlets like the BBC and Teen Vogue praised the brand for being brave and inclusive. But the actual reviews on the mascara, with a spiked tip that resembled a medieval mace, were mixed. Then in 2017, CoverGirl decided that their celebrated slogan, Easy, Breezy, Beautiful… CoverGirl, was outdated and had to go. For the modern young girl (and guy, now), the new slogan was “ I Am What I Makeup ,” which, if you really think about it, telegraphed everything about that era while saying absolutely nothing about their customer. The campaign was so broad and amorphous that no one felt spoken to. And from there, they continued circling the drain in their descent. All to chase a shiny customer at the cost of their true, very defined loyal base. Back to a Firm Foundation Now CoverGirl is back, making amends with its primary consumers, but will they take them back? It appears that they just might, at least for a while. Right now, Gen X is reported to be the top-spending beauty generation . But not for long. In fact, predictions are that this generation has about 8 years of peak spending power left. Gen X is reported to be the top-spending beauty generation. Some are calling CoverGirl’s strategy shortsighted, but we shall see. At least for right now, older women are the better customers by the numbers. They have more disposable income, they purchase makeup more consistently, and they deeply trust legacy brands. They’ve been there all along, waiting for someone to address their makeup concerns. You’re Making Me Blush I wouldn’t say CoverGirl's new strategy of focusing on older women deserves plaudits. It's more of an admission. For years, the company behaved as though the only customer worth chasing was the next 22-year-old scrolling through TikTok. In doing so, it overlooked the women who had been faithfully buying its products for decades. The irony is that CoverGirl never really lost its customers. It just lost sight of her. Now the brand hopes loyalty runs deeper than resentment. Whether this pivot proves to be a savvy business decision or simply a reprieve remains to be seen. But despite its foibles, I hope CoverGirl succeeds. It has been a trusted makeup brand for generations of American women. And there's something reassuring about knowing that, as I grow older, one of America's most recognizable beauty brands is finally committed to helping women like me feel easy, breezy, and beautiful.