Following Scandoval, ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Star Ariana Madix Is Turning Her Relationship Distress Into Dollars
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Scandoval may have broken Ariana Madix’s heart, but the Vanderpump Rules reality star is far from broke.
The 37-year-old Bravolebrity is recovering from the very public breakup and cheating offense that has captivated the world — and she’s turning the mess into money with various brand deals and partnerships, some playing off the grimy affair that played out between her former boyfriend Tom Sandoval and former best friend Raquel Leviss [see the final reunion episode on Wednesday night].
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Madix has partnered with manufacturing corporation BIC, personal finance company SoFi, snack food brand Lay’s and sex toy shop Bellesa Boutique, among others. Her commercial spot with BIC, to promote its new razor line BIC EasyRinse, has blown up on social media — and even translated into revenue for the company.
“Sales of our women’s EasyRinse razors were up 35 percent in the two weeks after the spot aired,” Katie Potocki, marketing director for BIC Blade Excellence, said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “We have seen a ton of social chatter and it’s increasing. We’re nearing 20 million views on Instagram, which is an incredible response. But it’s not just in social mentions, it’s also in sales.”
Potocki said when news of Scandoval broke in March, the company was “listening to the conversation and what was happening in pop culture and we said, ‘This would be a perfect moment to unclog Ariana’s life.’”
They filmed content at Madix’s home — which she still shares with ex beau Sandoval — and initially developed a digital social media campaign. But the response was so strong they released traditional spots for television, which aired during the first and second Vanderpump Rules reunion episodes. The commercial will air again on Wednesday night, when the final reunion episode airs on Bravo.
“We saw this opportunity to reach an audience that overlapped with our consumer target, who were super-engaged with what’s happening in the Bravo-sphere and Vanderpump Rules,” Potocki said.
Most of Madix’s new deals reference or poke at her split with Sandoval, whom she dated for nine years. Madix launched an ad with Lay’s, writing on social media: “lately i am team OUT with the old and IN with the new..but something will always feel right about a perfectly-made sandwich paired with golden @lays chips!” In another post for the brand, she alluded to the breakup by writing, “it feels good to try something new!”
When she announced that she was working with Bellesa Boutique, she posted a photo of herself holding a vibrator. “Sometimes you just gotta change up your vibe. I’m hooking you all up with toys,” she wrote. Madix told fans they would receive a free vibrator or gift card if they signed up for her giveaway.
“She’s taking this opportunity and striking while the iron is hot. This is an opportunity for her to really grab this narrative and ride it as far and fast as she can,” said Dave Quinn, a senior editor at People magazine. “I’m sure she’s somebody who will pivot this pain into continued pleasure for herself and find new opportunities along the way. And I’m pretty impressed by the way that she has secured the bag.”
“She has really elevated herself to a platform, through this pain, that is very admirable,” Quinn continued. “Listen, if somebody wanted to give me a bunch of money when my boyfriend cheated on me, I would’ve appreciated that.”
Madix, who is in a new relationship with fitness trainer Daniel Wai, has also partnered with SoFi, which specializes in financial independence. In one ad she says she’s “only surrounding myself with ride-or-dies from now on” and informs that SoFi has “a whole squad of financial planners who have YOUR best interests in mind … you can get your own financial bestie to help you make the right decisions with your money, even during the tough times.”
“We knew there was an opportunity to authentically support Ariana and help her get her money right during this critical time and find her financially independent footing. Ariana is a great role model to show women that it’s possible to be financially independent and get your financial house in order post breakup,” said Lauren Stafford Webb, SoFi’s chief marketing officer. “As she starts a business and continues to receive brand deals, it’s critical that Ariana’s money works just as hard for her as she works to make it, so she can maximize all of the opportunities that are coming her way. We are excited to partner with Ariana in an authentic way to make sure she is in a strong position to get her money right.”
In another ad for SoFi, Madix turned heads when photos of the reality star moving boxes out of her Los Angeles home appeared on social media. Though she wasn’t really moving at the time, it was part of her partnership with SoFi, and Stafford Webb says the company “decided to activate our partnership by helping Ariana ‘dip out’ and get her financial house in order to draw intrigue from pop culture fans.”
“The response from our partnership has been outstanding as we look to grow awareness of SoFi with new audiences. Scandoval has been at the epicenter of pop culture this spring, and Ariana’s followers are deeply invested in her success in this next chapter of her life. We are happy that we can provide financial tools and guidance to help Ariana get her money right, while opening a dialogue to encourage people everywhere to take control of their financial futures,” Stafford Webb said.
The support and attention for Madix is growing and “Team Ariana” has been trending heavily — even plastered on the bathroom mirrors at Sandoval’s new bar Schwartz & Sandy.
Madix led last month’s NBCUniversal’s upfront presentation; merchandise for her upcoming sandwich shop with cast mate Katie Maloney has sold $200,000 following the scandal; she will appear in the upcoming Lifetime film Buying Back My Daughter opposite Meagan Good; along with castmates Sheana Shay and Lala Kent, she’s in an Uber commercial that remixes Shay’s dance bop “Good As Gold”; she greeted and interacted with customers and fans during an hourlong drive-thru shift at Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers; and she and Shay threw the first pitch of the season at last weekend’s San Diego Padres game while mascot Swinging Friar held a sign that read, “Team Ariana.”
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos have debated the spicy subject on their morning show; Jennifer Lopez has thrown her two cents on the topic; and the entanglement was mentioned at the recent White House Correspondents Dinner, which Madix attended.
“Scandals have been devouring careers this year. The untouchable Tucker Carlson is out of a job … Tucker got caught up — got caught up like that dude from Vanderpump Rules,” host Roy Wood Jr. said to an audience that included President Joe Biden.
But the attention has had the opposite effect on Sandoval. Madix supporters flooded the Yelp page for his Schwartz & Sandy with bad reviews. It currently has a three-out-of-five star rating, and this message appears on its page: “This business is being monitored by Yelp’s Support team for content related to media reports.”
But Scandoval has benefited Bravo and brought new viewers to Vanderpump Rules, which launched in 2013 as a spin-off from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and follows the staff at Lisa Vanderpump’s restaurants and bars. Ratings for the season 10 finale was a series high, and even Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live episode with Madix reached a series high for the late-night show.
“By pure math there are already more eyeballs on [the show] then have been in the past,” said Quinn, who is the author of New York Times best-seller Not All Diamonds and Rosé: The Inside Story of the Real Housewives from the People Who Lived It.
“Vanderpump Rules was a show that two seasons ago, fans would’ve told you was on its last leg,” he said. “I definitely think that [Scandoval has] given the show a completely new life.”
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