YSL fights intimate partner violence, meeting social impact trend
Consumers are demanding social responsibility from brands more than ever, expecting them to take a stand instead of solely selling products. Yves Saint Laurent’s (YSL) illustrates how a brand can respond to this trend with its Abuse Is Not Love campaign, working with non-profit organizations worldwide to prevent and fight intimate partner violence (IPV).
Personal Care Insights speaks to Juleah Love, head of global corporate brand engagement at YSL Beauty, about beauty brands’ role in advocacy, digging into why companies should participate in activism.
According to YSL, one in three women experience IPV in their lifetime. The legacy brand aims to educate two million young people by 2030 about the common signs of an abusive relationship through international NGO partnerships.
Press agency Edelman reports that 62% of surveyed Gen Zers (aged 14-26) want to work with brands to address societal issues, followed closely by Millennials (60%). It also found that 57% of the total Gen Z surveyed and 60% of the Millennials believe brands can do more to solve societal problems than governments.
“As a beauty brand, we have a unique platform to address societal issues, especially those affecting our consumers. IPV is a global crisis that transcends borders, demographics and cultures. However, the overwhelming burden is borne by women from men,” says Love.
“As a brand dedicated to supporting women’s emancipation and liberation, we will continue to align our actions with our values and support organizations on the ground to prevent IPV and create wide-scale awareness campaigns to help destigmatize this issue.”
Love highlights that YSL’s Abuse Is Not Love campaign is an extension of its “deeply rooted” brand DNA of empowering individuals and supporting their autonomy..png)
YSL Beauty speaks on the importance of brands contribuing to social change.
Young people’s impact
The Abuse Is Not Love campaign is built on three pillars: education, training and funding. Since launching in 2020, YSL Beauty says it has invested in support and provided tools for potential allies, with a focus on identifying and understanding the warning signs of IPV.
According to YSL, young people between the ages of 16 and 24 are the most vulnerable to this type of abuse.
“The beauty industry has powerful platforms and reach, especially among young people. We should use this power to amplify messages about important topics such as IPV, and do so through prevention, education and support for one another,” says Love.
According to Edelman, 73% of Gen Z consumers it surveyed buy from brands that align with their beliefs. Young Gen Z (aged 14-17) is at the forefront of belief-driven buying and brand advocacy, with 84% buying and advocating based on their values.
The cosmetics brand funds academic research on IPV to “develop thought leadership around youth and prevention.” The program has trained and supported over one million individuals worldwide through direct partnerships with 25 NGOs spanning five continents.
Love expresses that to contribute to cultural change, brands should unite to combat social issues, underscoring companies’ responsibility to a “safer, healthier world.”
Livestream learning
YSL Beauty is hosting a livestream event to kick
Consumers are craving for beauty brands to align with their societal beliefs. off its 16 days of activism against gender-based violence to discuss domestic abuse and discuss steps to engage in long-term prevention through young people’s education.
The livestream will include a roundtable of panelists urging healthy relationship education for young people worldwide. YSL Beauty will launch educational materials to help spot the warning signs of abuse (both mental and physical) to promote healthy relationships.
The new Decoding Love leaflets teach readers how to recognize the warning signs of abuse and learn how to build healthy relationships from the start.
“Recognizing the warning signs of abuse is essential and they need to start early if we want to break the cycle of abuse,” says Love. “That’s why it’s crucial to destigmatize these conversations, provide access to resources and empower everyone to become part of the solution.”
