As medical aesthetic rivals sign up galaxies of star spokespeople, AbbVie continues to go in the opposite direction and focus on the everyday users of its beauty products. The drugmaker is holding another open casting call for Allergan Aesthetics to find the next faces of campaigns for products including Botox.
Allergan, which AbbVie acquired in 2020, has gone down the celebrity route in the past, partnering with stars such as the former professional athlete Deion Sanders and the actor and producer Malin Akerman to get the word out about its beauty products. But the medical aesthetics leader has shifted gears in recent years, moving away from celebrities to focus on users who live out of the spotlight.
AbbVie unveiled the next phase of the strategy Tuesday. Through June 4, anyone can apply to be part of upcoming campaigns for Botox, Juvéderm fillers and Allergan Aesthetics’ loyalty program, Allē. The call is open to existing users and anyone who is considering aesthetic treatment.
Around 20,000 people applied to AbbVie’s first open casting call. To amplify the second call, AbbVie has teamed up with Cosmetic Executive Women, Black Beauty Roster, Latinas in Beauty and The Black Beauty Club. The groups will promote AbbVie’s open casting call to their members, who include Black and Latina women working in the beauty industry.
AbbVie quoted Tomi Talabi and Asmeret Berhe-Lumax, co-founders of The Black Beauty Club, in its press release about the casting call. Talabi and Berhe-Lumax observed “a trend towards consumers demanding authenticity from beauty, cosmetic, and aesthetic companies” and discussed AbbVie’s role in the shift.
“[AbbVie’s] Allergan Aesthetics is the only company we are aware of that is driving that effort in the aesthetics category, where we feel this level of transparency and representation is essential,” Talabi and Berhe-Lumax said.
Jasson Gilmore, senior vice president, U.S. aesthetics at Allergan Aesthetics, said “there is nothing more powerful than seeing someone you can relate to sharing their aesthetic journey.” That view shaped the “See Yourself” campaign the company ran in 2022 and the latest push to gather personal testimonials, capture self-filmed diaries and create a before and after series for YouTube and other platforms.
Merz Aesthetics, which sells a rival botulinum toxin, has taken a different approach. Seeking to reach Generation Z and millennial women, Merz has partnered with stars such as Demi Lovato, Joe Jonas and Christina Aguilera who have large social media followings that skew toward its target audience.