(LifeSiteNews) — Prominent women’s makeup brand Maybelline sparked backlash this week for a new promotion ad featuring a bald, bearded man putting on bright pink lipstick. Critics called for opponents of the gender-bending marketing strategy to give Maybelline “the Bud Light treatment.”
The new ad for Maybelline’s Amazon Prime deals, which has gone viral on social media, shows male influencer Ryan Vita wearing eyeshadow, foundation, manicured eyebrows, fake fingernails, and a bedazzled hair clip in his beard smearing on Maybelline’s “Super Stay” Vinyl Ink bright pink lipstick.
This is a new ad from makeup brand @Maybelline. Drop your thoughts in the comments 👇🏻pic.twitter.com/M8cfDn13pV
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 13, 2023
“My Amazon order arrived the next day, and here I am filming a makeup review,” the Maybelline partner says in the short video as he shakes up the makeup container. “And, baby, check out this color and shine.”
After applying the lipstick, Vita blows a kiss to the camera and then holds up his hand, covering one eye.
“Let me know what you think and shop Maybelline Prime Deals for 30% off right now,” he says.
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Conservative Twitter accounts, including Blaze TV host Lauren Chen and Libs of Tik Tok, reposted the video on social media, where users blasted Maybelline for the stunt.
“Another day, another disturbing make-up ad,” Chen said.
“Should @Maybelline get the @budlight treatment?” Libs of TikTok asked, referring to the highly successful conservative boycott of beer brand Bud Light for its April partnership with “transgender”-identifying influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
“Ah, yes. Nothing inspires me to buy makeup more than seeing it smudged on the face of a bearded man!” reacted RSB Network associate editor Summer Lane.
“Darn I love their BB cream. Will have to find an alternative,” wrote EWTN radio host Grazie Pozo Christie.“@Maybelline: hold my Bud.”
Like Bud Light, Maybelline also partnered with Mulvaney in April before the bearded male lipstick ad.
“Getting glam for my Day 365 show with @maybelline #maybelline partner,” Mulvaney wrote in his own promotional video posted to Instagram in late April. The video showed Mulvaney before and after applying a copious amount of makeup.
The makeup company received backlash at the time, but the boycott doesn’t appear to have garnered as much national attention as the Bud Light controversy.
As LifeSiteNews has reported, the widespread rejection of Bud Light since April for its connection with 26-year-old actor turned “transgender” activist Mulvaney has led to a devastating drop in sales for the beer brand.