Neutrogena’s newest ambassador, track and field Olympian Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, has her first big brand assignment.
The 24-year-old gold medalist, who holds the world record for 400-meter hurdles, is adding “host” to her resumé. Neutogena’s appointed her the leader of a cast of social-savvy dermatologists and influencers in the brand’s new episodic series, “The Great Face Race.” The series will live on the brand’s own social platforms. It has 151,000 TikTok followers and 962,000 on Instagram. The first episode will release on October 1, with the remaining episodes running throughout the course of the month.
The series is a continuation of the brand’s “Skin’s Vitals” campaign, which launched as an immersive experience in April at Coachella. The campaign speaks to the idea that, “just like your body has vital signs [that the doctor checks], your skin has vitals, too,” said Natasha Haubrich, head of equity and strategy at Neutrogena.
In the series, dermatologists will coach a diverse cast of influencers as they compete in challenges designed to simplify skin science. There are four teams, each named for key skin concerns addressed by Neutrogena collections. On Team “Hydrate,” Dr. Dustin Portela will coach beauty creators Rachel Finley (@hydrationceo) and “MeiMei” (@meimonstaa). Dr. Lindsey Zubritsky (@dermguru) will coach “Team Balance,” with players Joel Bervell, a med student who calls himself “TikTok’s medical mythbuster,” and Giannina Gibelli, a former cast member on “Love Is Blind.” “Team Regenerate” is led by Dr. Angelo Landriscina (@dermangelo), who will coach TikTok comedian Boman Martinez-Reid (@bomanizer) and “Corporate Natalie” (@corporatenatalie), who posts content about work. Finally, on “Team Clear Skin,” Dr. Caroline Robinson will lead creator Taylor Cassidy, known for her posts about Black history, and influencer and former Vine star Vale Genta.
Many of these creators are not known for their beauty content. That makes sense, considering the competitive nature of game show-style content, Haubrich said. Plus, she said, “We know that folks who have more of a cultural influence are just as important, as people follow all [types of] influencers they identify with.” The strategy also ties into the brand’s overarching strategies of meeting people where they are and bringing them reliable education where they’re already looking for information, she said.
By creating gamified content like this series, Neutrogena is aiming to simplify the science that Neutrogena has worked on for decades and make it more accessible, Haubrich said. That’s particularly because skin-care misinformation is rampant. What’s more, she said, customers are confused by the complexity of popular multi-step routines, the abundance of products on the market and the varying advice on social media.
For each team, Neutrogena has selected two core products to focus on, to drive home the idea that doing 12 steps is not needed to see results, Haubrich said.
As for why it made sense to tap McLaughlin-Levrone for the project, Haubrich simply said, “It’s a race, and she wins them.”
Meanwhile, McLaughlin-Levrone called the partnership a “full-circle moment.”
“[Neutrogena] was the first skin-care brand I tried when I was in high school, learning how to deal with acne and figuring out what works best for my skin,” she said.
It’s also a timely and meaningful partnership, she said: “We’re seeing that the beauty and sports worlds can collide. It doesn’t have to be one or the other; you can do both. I love being able to bring that to track and field … and share that you can be confident and beautiful in your skin, and also a really great athlete who’s a very tough competitor.”
Neutrogena is not the only brand to recently tap an athlete as an ambassador. In May, Mielle Organics launched a partnership with college basketball star Angel Reese. Bubble, meanwhile, has worked with multiple athletes, including Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson and track and field athlete Sam Hurley. And Starface has worked with college football player Kayvon Thibodeux.
Much like actors, whom Neutrogena has traditionally partnered with, athletes inspire people, Haubach said. Athletes also have much experience when it comes to combatting skin stressors. What’s more, she said, McLaughlin-Levrone is relatable, in that she doesn’t claim to be a skin-care expert, but wants to do what’s best for her skin.
“Sydney’s like, ‘I don’t know very much about skin care.’ And I’m like, ‘That’s the point,'” Haubach said.
