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Last year, Rihanna signed on as the face of Nivea, which also sponsored a good chunk of her latest world tour. This always seemed like an odd move on the part of the skin care product brand, which generally projects a very wholesome vibe throughout their advertising campaigns. In sharp contrast, Rihanna has become increasingly well known for posing for obnoxiously trashy vacation photos, in which she often is spotted drinking and doing drugs, and then she usually posts those photos herself all over her social media profiles with her everpresent #thuglife tag. Never mind that the paps have caught her swanning about in see-thru tops and that she’s taken to boozing so hard that she ends up hospitalized.
Well, Nivea has apparently woken up from their deluded slumber, and their new advertising priorities have been reenforced by Stefan Heidenreich, the new head of Nivea’s parent company. According to Heidenreich, Rihanna’s a terrible fit for the brand and is far “too sexy” to represent the brand in the future. No kidding, right?
She’s known for her sexy attitude, raunchy outfits and outrageous behaviour. So it comes as little surprise that Rihanna’s advert for Nivea has been deemed too sexy to front campaigns for the skincare brand.
The star appeared in a series of adverts for the firm, which was a sponsor of her world tour last year, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the company.
And now cosmetic tycoon Stefan Heidenreich – the new head of Nivea’s parent firm, Beiersdorf – has told German media that the singer should have been considered a “no go” for the brand’s family image. “The advert starring Rihanna was a no go. I do not understand how Nivea can be brought into association with Rihanna.”
In one ad, a family is seen moisturising with Nivea while Rihanna’s sultry hit California King Bed plays in the background. The original video of the song shows the star wearing stockings and lingerie writhing with a man on a bed. Heidenreich added: “Nivea is a company which stands for trust, family and reliability.”
When Nivea signed up the star last year they said they were “very excited” to have her on board. Nivea board member Markus Pinger said in a press release at the time: “Over the past 100 years, Nivea has been an iconic skin-care brand across the world. Rihanna is a music icon and her digital footprint will help us bring our anniversary celebration to consumers wherever they are.”
In July, Forbes magazine said Rihanna’s sponsorship deal with Nivea had helped propel her number three in their top 30 of the richest celebrities under 30 with earnings of $53million in just 12 months.
[From Daily Mail]
The original German article goes even further, and for some reason, both the Mail and Digital Spy have left out the best language, which is as follows: “Heidenreich’s judgement: ‘Rihanna was a No-Go.’ What does the US star, who has been linked to drugs and party excesses, have ‘to do with the core values of Nivea’?, he asked.”
Indeed, it’s hard to believe that Nivea ever decided that employing Rihanna as a spokesperson was a good idea for their company, but it’s also odd that they’re just now figuring this out. Sure, Rihanna’s behavior has accelerated quite a bit lately, but it’s not like she was some virginal ingenue who has only just started boozing and acting trashy in public.
Here’s the advert spot mentioned by the Mail, which shows babies and pregnant bellies receiving the benefits of the skin cream:
In sharp contrast, here’s the self-projected image of Rihanna. We all know she’s trashy, and she knows it too. In fact, she embraces it, and more power to her if that’s how she wants to live. But I guess she needs to find some sponsors who want to project that image as well.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, Nivea, Facebook, and Pacific Coast News
Written by Bedhead
Posted in Advertising, Rihanna
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I have used Nivea for years but never noticed Rihanna was their spokeswoman until last week when I bought a small 88 cent tin of their balm and when I opened it, the inside of the lid said something about going online and seeing Rihanna and their website. Ugh.. That was annoying. I hate her. Why would I go online to look at her?
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Ha! You just did!
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Nivea earns the Duh of the Day Award. (Mum’s used Nivea for decades, and if she saw Rihanna in an ad, she’d either have a stroke or stop using Nivea or both.)
Oh, and Nivea? As long as we’re fixing what doesn’t work, how about eliminating the fragrance from the lip balms and glosses? It’s so over-powering I’m unable to wear them.
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YAY!
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here comes the rihanna hate…
this is great for her bad-girl image…she prob went against the “core values” (please) on purpose.
good PR move.
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How is losing endorsements a good PR move?
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I’m not surprised. I think the decision makers at these companies know the name but not the rep so they go with that and then they’re shocked when they find out she’s a bit skanky. It’s happened before and will again.
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Vodka, Red Bull, Anyone that would Hire Snoop Dogg, um MAC, Makeup Forever …. Some tobbaco type company, Hair Color, Tourism company, Luxury Goods, Vegas, Jean Paul Gaultier: THAT is who should be trying to get with her
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Yep, I agree. Riri holding liquor with a cigar in her mouth: she’d work that image.
Also, I really could see someone like Jennifer Garner as the (dimply) face of Nivea. No? Maybe with some pretty and light family shots, getting ready for an outing or to go to the beach on a breezy day… I see that ad and like it.
(Though I don’t really like Nivea as a company, but let’s leave that aside)
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Garner is a good idea, but she already reps Neutrogena.
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I know!Selena Beiber!
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and bikinis and yachts and sneakers and trendy hip stuff…wtf? nivea?
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I think they wanted to tap into the good will people had for her after the Chris Brown incident, and that’s all pretty much gone these days.
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I work in advertising and to be honest Nivea has a image problem anyway. Their audience is older and if they aren’t careful their consumers will just die out.
I don’t know anyone who uses Nivea, they need to make young people aware of their product.
Young consumers don’t give a crap about what Rihanna does on her vacation, and the company is just being small minded about her. She has some risk attached to her, I’ll admit, but it wouldn’t outweigh the benefits of having her represent them.
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ITA. They sponsored her tour and got market penetration. It was mutually profitable and now Nivea is hoping those concert-goers will notice its products next time they’re shopping.
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Actually, that is not exactly true. I use Nivea Soft, and I am a young adult. While there base demographics might be older adults, there are some youngsters who use Nivea products,as well. It’s a great product, and I believe people of all ages should and do use them.
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Yep. And let’s not forget that those who don’t read gossip blogs don’t necessarily know about her escapades. Especially in Germany. I know plenty of young adults who use Nivea but I doubt I could find as many who know about Rihanna’s awesome boozy vacations. Nivea didn’t think this through, I think they might have a problem with their international marketing. Because their German customers are not the problem as far as I can tell.
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Nice try, Nivea.
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I’ve always thought of Nivea as a classy product and hope they stay that way. It’s too greasy for me though.
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“Too sexy”? That’s a very polite way of putting it.
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Too slutty and vulgat. It’s more acurate description.
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I disagree that Rihanna is “too sexy.” In fact, calling her “sexy” at all seems like a distorted view of what it means to be sexy. There’s confidence, intrigue, and mystery, which can be seen as sexy. Then there’s Rihanna – drunk, high, desperate for attention, and insecure (but fronts like she’s uber-confident and bad ass). Rihanna does not equal sexy (in my mind).
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+1
Spot on
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I agree. I think she is naturally gorgeous and has amazing skin, but her actions make her seem desperate and empty. Of course I don’t know for sure, but it usually seems that when people are REALLY happy, they don’t spend so much time trying to convince strangers that they live the most amazing thug life eva. In short, she’s been trying too hard.
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Agree 100%!!!
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Well said.
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I agree with this as well.
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i agree she’s gotta find the right fit sponsor wise. i mean when she was lil’ miss-innocent she had a CoverGirl contract b4, so i dunno.
i guess she has to ‘find the balance’ (ugh, you know i hate that phrase) between badass & trashy. i mean fuggin’ P!nk just landed Covergirl, so the badassness isn’t the problem. the slutty/trashy is.
still, i think it’s a dummy move business-wise to get fired by what’s quintessentially a basic ‘Drug Store’ brand. that’s gotta smart. *ouch*
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Okay…so Rihanna needs to probably do a brief stint w/ a life coach who will stop her gravitation toward men who beat her like a drum. Aaaand…she’s too sexy/ slutty for Nivea. So….
How about two of my favorite talented, sexy but wholesome girls? a). Jordin Sparks or b). the GREATLY under-utilized Zoe Saldana? But I have to agree, Rihanna+ Nivea = OH HELL NO, lol
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Weird. I use Nivea skin creams and had no clue Rhianna was the spokesperson for the brand. I actually feel sad for Rhianna – she’s so out of control that she has no clue.
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well ok then. never knew she was a spokeswoman for the brand anyway, so yeah neither one were really doing their job..
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Hate to say it but Rhianna is skanky. She squandered a lot of her good will she received after the Chris Brown beating. People were on her side then she majorly started to trash it up.
It’s like she wants to be the antithesis to Beyonce. Reminds me of the image that Christian Aguilera created to differentiate herself from Britney.
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I didn’t know she was their spokesperson either.
I agree she was a bad choice to begin with, but she definitely has been acting worse in the last few months. She probably doesn’t care though.
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Since when does a damn skin care company care about core values? You’re not saving lives here. Silly corporate buzzwords.
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Probably when the women who use Nivea started writing in.
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She’s trashy but she DOES have nice skin!
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Not surprised. It was a good move on their part.
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Rihanna has got to stop posting her debauchery online. I like to have a good time, but I don’t take pictures or post crazy stuff online. I don’t want my future employers or random strangers to know what I do in my spare time.
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If only her “music” would get axed from the radio. So sick of her nasally auto-tuned voice every other song.
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Too “sexy” Oh such understatement, Stefan. Slutty, skanky… that is what he really means. Sexy is a good thing.
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I guess everyone here never had a party moment or reacted AT ALL or ever was self-descructive….or was ever in their early twenties.
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Her behaviour goes far beyone a “party moment”. More like a party “life”. When I was in my twenties I didn’t parade around showing my boobs in see-through tops. I didn’t grab my crotch in public. I didn’t dress like a tramp. I didn’t incessantly post pictures of me wearing next to nothing, drinking like a fish and toking. I wasn’t shoving my sexuality in everyone’s faces. She’s being paid a ton of money to promote products that have a “nice girl” image but certainly isn’t living up to the lifestyle so I see no problem with Nivea dropping her as their spokesperson.
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ITA! +1
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Your logic is strange. Rihanna deliberately courts public attention with her trashy behavior (like your idol Madonna), and posts racy pics of herself on Twitter – for money, for PR, for her narcissistic ego. Why should it surprise you that these famewhores get negative reactions as a result? They seek widespread attention and they get widespread attention, for mostly negative behavior. Famewhores get back what they give.
Many of us have made foolish mistakes in our youth, but we didn’t purposefully do it in front of cameras or record it ourselves to later share online like it was something to be proud of.
Whatever happened to putting your best foot forward when many eyes are watching? It’s called class, which is a concept the latest generation of celebrities can’t seem to grasp.
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yeah yeah…I hear what you are saying but she is young and into herself…still I really dont agree with calling people tramps or trash because they act that way….she has toured and put out music and out of the young girls out there is doing pretty good…hopefully she will calm down or get back to work but she isnt hurting anybody…she will never be Taylor Swift.
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She is a little too freaky, it seems to me. Even a red-blooded male just might turn around and walk away if they saw her coming. Trouble with a capital T might be coming their way, else.
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Maybe it’s those yellow nails.
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And DUH I say, to this entire post. Rihanna be a skank.
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Look at all the attention Nivea is getting now from dumping her. It’s a win win they get some big press and Rihanna get’s more oooh isn’t she naughty. She is doing exactly the kind of stuff Madonna did. Why I don’t know because she can sing and has some great songs. It could harm her more then help her but she probably has so much money now she doesn’t care.
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While it can equally be said that it’s not a good look for a German to decide not to include Rihanna (and say opting for a white model), it can also be said that Rihanna’s behaviour doesn’t lend to the type of advertising campaigns that these sorts of companies are looking at.
Despite her astounding beauty, Rihanna makes stupid decisions (her tattoos and the places they’re in, including the stupid neck tattoo, her being photographed smoking joints, etc) that conflict with the atypical and outdated ‘family’ values that companies are interested in reinforcing through their advertising campaigns.
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German?Is this some kind of WWII reference?
In fact black people and white people are more integrated together in Germany than in the US. That he dares to axe her is probably because such a decision is not immediately racially charged in his homeland. It seems quite clear to me she’s axed because her image does not fit the brand (which is more than obvious).
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Spot on nanz01 macey and minty; her “risque” is so calculated it’s utterly fake; she attempts to sing like either a rubber goose is being shoved down her throat or like a goat being strangled; and if you’ve seen or read her interviews she comes off as moronic and borderline illiterate; aren’t their any cool celebs/singers with some class and intellect?
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there*
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That Nivea photo of Rihanna is beautiful. I do think though that Rihanna is one step away from multiple stints in rehab though so is probably not the best spokesmodel from that perspective but to say they’re dropping her because she’s too sexy for their core values seems a bit harsh when those photos of her pulling her ass cheeks apart leaked online before they hired her.
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I agree the ad is gorgeous and I’m so glad they didn’t photoshop her into a plastic doll. I can actually see she has pores which makes me feel better because I have visible pores too and I feel like crap every time I see a beauty ad showing models that look almost like a cartoon of themselves. Like they are saying if you have pores then your ugly. I would like to see more ads that are like this. Something that is beautifully photographed but still real looking. I hope Nivea keeps that up.
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Stupid girl….Her skin tone is not for NIVEA.it darkens your skin, ‘toned’, girls…so she can go do a commercial for rum are something…its more up her street.
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Her voice is terrible!
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I dont find her beautiful anymore. In the beginning I thought she was interesting looking at best. Now I think she has a decidedly stupid face. A real mess. Nothing sexy about her. How can someone so disgustingly messed up be “sexy.”
I think the rumors about her in Barbadoes before she got famous are probably true and she needs a ton of therapy. It will never happen though. Shes like lindsey lohan with the denial and “im fine” attitiude.
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those photos are so desperate and stupid looking.
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She’s definitely very beautiful, but her behavior doesn’t scream “sexy” to me. She seems as though there is something really wrong with her, and it’s getting wronger all the time… Maybe she isn’t dealing as well with bad childhood experiences as she thinks, or maybe it’s just the effects of booze and drugs especially if she’s plagued with genetics that predispose to physical addiction, or maybe she’s self-medicating for some other disorder. Whatever, something isn’t right about her. she doesn’t seem truly comfortable in her own skin.
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