CVS accelerates toward fully transparent beauty imagery, debuts unaltered campaigns

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Jan 25, 2019

CVS Pharmacy is making progress toward its goal of fully transparent beauty imagery by the end of 2020, announcing that nearly 70 percent of its beauty imagery nationwide will be compliant with its new CVS Beauty Mark standard.

CVS debuted a first look at its newest beauty imagery in Times Square, joined by brand partners like Covergirl, which debuted its digitally unaltered Covergirl Outlast Lipstick campaign image of brand ambassador Ayesha Curry. Neutrogena brand ambassador Kerry Washington and Revlon brand ambassador Ashley Graham also appeared in unaltered images as part of their new campaigns. 

Other brand partners who have committed to the 2020 transparency deadline include Olay, Almay, Aveeno, Rimmel, Joah, L'Oreal, Maybelline and Burt's Bees, among others. 

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In addition to the beauty imagery in CVS Pharmacy locations, all beauty imagery and brand partner imagery used on cvs.com, and in all marketing to customers on social media, external advertising and promotions, will also be subject to the CVS Beauty Mark standard. According to the company, these channels reach over 100 million consumers each year. 

The company first announced its initiative in January of 2018, and launched its first unaltered campaign in April of the same year. 

The drugstore's purpose-led approach focuses on authenticity and diversity, both qualities that appeal to young Gen Z consumers. 

"As a purpose-led health care company as well as the second largest beauty retailer in the country, we want the millions of customers that visit CVS Pharmacy locations each day to see a more authentic and diverse representation of beauty," said Kevin Hourican, president of CVS Pharmacy, in a release.

To underline its commitment to the cause of female empowerment, CVS Pharmacy has further announced it will donate $1 to Girls Inc., a non-profit focused on empowering young women, for each purchase of select Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble and L'Oréal beauty products, up to $300,000.

The company has also partnered with lifestyle experts Sara and Erin Foster to create a limited-edition t-shirt that celebrates unaltered imagery. The shirt is available now on the CVS website and 100 percent of the proceeds will also go toward supporting Girls Inc.