Coty Partners with the Cybersmile foundation to tackle cyberbullying with Rimmel #iwillnotbedeleted campaign

The global beauty company Coty has announced a new initiative led by its cosmetics brand Rimmel designed to combat the growing issue of beauty cyberbullying affecting millions of people, predominately young girls, around the world. Beauty cyberbullying is when someone is bullied about their appearance through negative or abusive comments on their social media channels.

The Rimmel initiative, #Iwillnotbedeleted, aims to tackle the societal issues that stop people of all ages from feeling unable to fully express themselves on social media due to fear of negative commentary or retribution – a key reason people delete social media posts or profiles. Through a long-term partnership with Cybersmile, #Iwillnotbedeleted will spark a conversation about beauty cyberbullying by creating an online space where young people can share their experiences as well as find solutions to this growing issue. Rimmel is committed to celebrating individual beauty and inspiring people to be their authentic selves both on and offline.

#Iwillnotbedeleted is an integral part of Coty’s ongoing commitment to tackle the prejudice and discrimination that stand in the way of self-expression – based on gender, sexual orientation, disability and ethnicity – and to celebrate the diversity of consumers’ beauty. 

Sara Wolverson, vice president of Rimmel global marketing, Coty, commented: “Rimmel is about championing self-expression in beauty. We have always been against narrow definitions of beauty and people being judged because of the way they look. As a global beauty company, Coty wants to contribute solutions that can positively impact prejudice and discrimination that stand in the way of self-expression and to raise awareness to affect positive changes in behaviour. We look forward to working with The Cybersmile Foundation, our brand ambassadors, our colleagues worldwide and our consumers on this important issue.”

As part of the collaboration, Rimmel will work with Cybersmile to create the Cybersmile Assistant, a state-of-the-art AI-driven tool that will be available for all visitors to the Cybersmile website from across the globe. Initially launching in an English-speaking language version early in 2019, this ground-breaking virtual assistant will be rolled out in several languages and recommend approved local resources, helplines and organizations that can help those affected by beauty cyberbullying.

Coty and Rimmel have also published a report looking at young women’s experiences of beauty cyberbullying. The report spoke to over 11,000 women aged 16-25 across 10 countries to understand the scale and impact of beauty cyberbullying.

Key findings of this report include:

Ø    1 in 4 women have experienced beauty cyberbullying

Ø    57% of those who have experienced beauty cyberbullying didn’t tell anyone

Ø    67% of those who experienced beauty cyberbullying lost confidence

Ø    46% of women who have experienced beauty cyberbullying have gone on to self-harm

 Scott Freeman, CEO, The Cybersmile Foundation said: “We are excited and proud to find a partner who is truly committed to an inclusive internet and shares our vision of a digital community where everybody can feel free to express themselves without the fear of ridicule and abuse. I am confident that our partnership will change and save lives all over the world.”

The initiative launched  at an event at The Mondrian Hotel in London, attended by Rimmel global brand ambassadors Rita Ora and Cara Delevingne as well as a number of influencers and consumers whose own experiences of beauty cyberbullying have helped shape the campaign.

Rita Ora, Rimmel global brand ambassador, said: “I am really proud to work with Coty and Rimmel on this campaign and support the message that beauty cyberbullying is not okay. I hope that by working with a business the size of Coty, we can get this message out to millions of people worldwide and truly change things for the better.”

Cara Delevingne, Rimmel global brand ambassador, commented: “Cyberbullying related to beauty choices has a real impact on people long after the incident occurs. The idea that some people make decisions in anticipation or fear of potential bullying is heartbreaking. I look forward to working with Rimmel to try and find a way of addressing this growing issue.”