Merz Aesthetics has cast actress and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow in a new role as global spokesperson for Xeomin.
The 47-year-old Paltrow, a longtime user of the aesthetic treatment, debuts Thursday in Xeomin’s first global campaign. Merz chose her not only as a happy celebrity customer, but also as an authority on lifestyle and beauty as CEO of the Goop content and commerce business she founded in 2008.
“It’s consistent with what she’s done on the Goop platform and business over the years, encouraging women to unhesitatingly pursue things that make them feel good and not worry about any stigma associated,” Merz Aesthetics Global CEO Bob Rhatigan said, adding that she is a “credible, authentic expert on beauty and self-care for women.”
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On launch day today, Paltrow is lined up for print, radio and TV media interviews including the new “Drew Barrymore Show” and PeopleTV, as well as an Instagram Live appearance with InStyle’s editor in chief.
In the ongoing campaign, Paltrow will share what she does to look and feel her best—and encourage other women to do the same—on social media tagged #DareToSelfCare. She stars in Xeomin videos on YouTube as well as Merz and Xeomin websites, and is featured in in-office print materials.
Xeomin is a botulinum toxin injectable approved to treat moderate to severe frown lines between eyebrows.
Merz became interested in Paltrow as a potential spokesperson while searching for celebrity fits for the Xeomin brand. Around the same time, Paltrow’s doctor told Merz he had a celebrity client who would make a great spokesperson, Rhatigan said.
She appeals to Xeomin’s target audience of women in their 30s and 40s who now see aesthetics as personal care rather than luxury indulgences, he said. And while the coronavirus pandemic initially halted office visits, aesthetics providers are now reporting higher-than-normal volumes.
"For me," Paltrow said in a release, "beauty is about deepening happiness versus trying to chase youth.”
In the neurotoxin aesthetics space, Merz's competition is led by AbbVie’s Botox and followed in third place by Evolus’ Jeuveau.
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Goop has faced controversies and criticism over the years for its sometimes offbeat, pricey products such as a $75 vagina-scented candle that sold out last holiday season. It's also drawn fire for dubious health claims, such as the now infamous vaginal Jade Egg lawsuit settled out of court in 2018.
However, Paltrow's personal brand and business continue to grow. Paltrow has 7.2 million followers on Instagram, and her Goop empire of products, retail stores and experiences was worth more than $250 million in 2019, according to a New York Times profile last year.