A year into Neutrogena’s partnership with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the pair are taking things back to the Olympian’s roots.
On Tuesday, they are ringing in one year of partnership with an iteration of Neutrogena’s run club, which will take place at McLaughlin-Levrone’s alma mater — Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains, N.J. Participants will come from Girls on the Run, “an organization focused on building confidence, kindness and decision-making skills in girls,” per a statement from Neutrogena.
That sense of purpose was central to the event’s genesis. “As we approached back-to-school season, we wanted to really focus on the idea of confidence,” said Neutrogena’s vice president of marketing Marguerite Longo. “We’re ensuring that students and athletes alike are able to put their best skin forward, and that we’re providing them with products and solutions that meets their skin health needs.”
The cause also hits home for McLaughlin-Levrone. “When I was in high school, acne and all of those things were a struggle. Figuring out what worked for me was something I was always super interested in,” she said. “For that age, I want to be representative of teenage girls and young girls feeling confident in their skin.”
McLaughlin-Levrone’s ambassadorship with Neutrogena is one of a growing number between beauty brands and athletes, such as Glossier and Mielle Organics.
“We have seen in the past year alone how influential athletes are in the beauty sector,” Longo said. “[McLaughlin-Levrone] embodies everything that Neutrogena stands for — most importantly, being confident in your own skin.”
Younger consumers are increasingly driving the beauty category’s growth, particularly for antiaging products and trending stock keeping units on TikTok. The ensuing perfectionism among that base, McLaughlin said, is what she’s hoping to counter.
“It’s talking about self confidence in yourself, coming from a place of appreciating the natural beauty you have, and also knowing that pimples are normal,” she said. “There are ways to deal with that that are helpful for your skin. Neutrogena is science-backed, and I love that you can just grab it at CVS. The products are accessible, and still work.”
