Seven months ago, Covergirl was under attack for associating with the NFL in the wake of the Ray Rice scandal. Its ad urging female fans to “Get your game face on!” — meaning, wear makeup in team colors — was mocked up by activists to show a battered woman. The image went viral and was shared endlessly in the midst of the NFL firestorm.
Fast forward, and Covergirl, the league’s official beauty sponsor, will be activating at the NFL draft next week in Chicago — one of 34 brands planning to do so. Covergirl’s fellow Procter & Gamble women’s brand Pantene is in the sponsor lineup as well.
A spokeswoman for Covergirl declined to comment on next week’s efforts or to detail what other promotions, if any, the women’s makeup brand had undertaken with the NFL last season.
The business of the NFL was barely affected by last year’s domestic abuse scandals, though the image of the league clearly suffered. Despite rampant calls for NFL sponsors to disassociate from the league, only one team, the Minnesota Vikings, lost a sponsor (Radisson).
Covergirl appeared particularly susceptible to criticism because of its target market of women. It put out a statement soon after the Rice video hit TMZ saying it encouraged the NFL to take swift action to address domestic violence. The league did put together a new personal conduct policy that is far tougher on instances of domestic abuse than in the past. If Covergirl’s presence in Chicago is an indication, the brand may be saying it is comfortable with the NFL response.
