Coty Tackles Outdated Beauty Standards with New Campaign

Global beauty conglomerate Coty has launched the #UndefineBeauty campaign, focusing on community and inclusivity. The effort is spearheaded by an open letter published today, January 30th, calling for significant change in how "beauty" is defined.

Coty is addressing representation issues that have long been subtly embedded in culture. The campaign leverages the communal nature of beauty while incorporating philanthropic elements to deliver an inclusive message and a clear call to action.

The Open Letter and Call to Action

The initiative officially began with the release of an open letter addressed to major English dictionary publishers. Coty executives are formally requesting the review and subsequent removal of definitions deemed outdated, ageist, and sexist.

Sue Y. Nabi, CEO of Coty, stated, “Seen through the lens of today’s society and values, the definition of beauty hasn’t aged well.” She acknowledged that while not everyone feels excluded, the implicit sexism and ageism stem from definitions created in a different era.

The open letter, titled “Undefine Beauty: An open letter to major English dictionary houses from Coty,” appeared on Ms. Nabi’s LinkedIn page on the morning of January 30th. It was supported by Coty’s senior leadership and executive committee.

Petition and Specific Examples Cited

To mobilize public support, an accompanying petition is available for signing on the global nonprofit platform Change.org. Both the letter and the broader campaign urge publishers to update dictionary entries with more modern and inclusive language.

Coty highlighted problematic existing examples, specifically citing the phrase, “she was a great beauty in her youth,” which they note appears in major dictionaries. The goal is to “undefine” beauty rather than merely “redefine” it, ensuring no one feels excluded by the accompanying examples.

Qualitative Social Experiment Film

As part of the campaign, Coty executed a qualitative social experiment captured on film. This four-minute video features 100 individuals from diverse global backgrounds, ages, races, nationalities, and gender expressions.

These subjects were first asked, “How do you define beauty?” Responses emphasized personal freedom, such as, “Beauty to me is having the freedom to be yourself.” One speaker linked beauty to self-love and healthy skin, aligning with Coty’s commercial focus.

The film then contrasts these personal definitions with the current dictionary entries, pointing out the exclusionary, youth-centric, and heavily gendered nature of existing definitions. A text screen in the video notes, "You just witness the excluding and isolating effect of the current definitions of beauty in the dictionary."

Executive Vision and Collaboration

Ms. Nabi concluded by emphasizing Coty’s stance: “At Coty, we believe that no one can control or dictate what is, or is not, beautiful.” She added that inclusion creates a ripple effect benefiting everyone.

The campaign’s strength is partly attributed to the alignment between the demographic affected by these definitions and the leadership of CEO Ms. Nabi. The overall #UndefineBeauty effort, through its letter, petition, and video, aims to harness the enduring power of beauty’s communal message.