Judging by Olivia Wilde’s Instagram, the actress is not afraid to speak up for causes she supports — within the last few months, the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood and the International Women’s March have all been mentioned in her feed.
Wilde has signed with True Botanicals as its chief brand activist, WWD has learned. She is the Mill Valley, Calif.-based brand’s first official celebrity endorsement, and the first prominent celebrity signing of a natural skin-care line in the beauty industry. The chief brand activist role — which Wilde and the business partners running the direct-sell luxury skin-care line are quick to say is more like that of a salaried employee in lieu of a traditional ambassadorship — was created specifically for her.
For Wilde, the role is a far cry from her contract with Revlon, where she was signed as a face from 2011 to the end of last year. The move from representing mass brand to niche natural is just the latest sign of the continuing shift in the consumer drive toward wellness-oriented, better-for-you products. But even True Botanicals isn’t so niche anymore — in March, Unilever Ventures acquired a minority stake in the company as part of a $3 million round of seed funding. Wilde is planning on playing an active role in promoting the brand via her social media channels, as well as working on projects with the True Botanicals team.
“She’s the spark,”said Christina Mace-Turner, chief executive officer of True Botanicals. “We’re part of a growing number of businesses thinking about sustainable practices and changing the norms in our industry. Olivia completely got what we were doing and it felt like a very natural partnership.”
Of her new title, “We sort of made it up,” said Wilde. “I’m thrilled to be part of the company as an advocate and help spread the word about the important mission they’re on, whether it’s talking to consumers and vouching for it personally, testifying before congress, learning about the research behind the need for these [nontoxic] products, learning about clinical trials, [or becoming involved in the actual [product development]. I’m really eager to learn more about what consumers are looking for.”
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