Zendaya Grows Up With Lancôme Global Ambassador Deal

BEVERLY HILLS — Momentum. There’s plenty of it surrounding Zendaya Coleman, who is set next week to reveal her capsule with Tommy Hilfiger and was confirmed on Thursday as the newest Lancôme global ambassador.

The singer and actress, who this year is set to star in “Spider-Man: Far From Home” and HBO and A24’s series “Euphoria,” was tapped to be global brand ambassador for Hilfiger in a deal unveiled late last year, with the Tommy x Zendaya capsule to be shown during Paris Fashion Week on March 2. But before that, Coleman on Thursday evening in Beverly Hills revealed with Lancôme news of yet another ambassador title.

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It’s a move that reflects her maturity, personally and professionally, the artist said Thursday morning while discussing the partnership in a suite at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills.

“I guess you could say I’m growing up and I feel like I’m coming into my adulthood and shifting into a new phase in my career and in my life,” Coleman said. “It felt like that next step, that next elevated step.”

The makeup lover is often seen sharing tips with her social media followers — of which she counts more than 54 million — and dubbed herself the makeup artist of her family. She also often does her own makeup for events.

“Obviously, I love makeup. I love that world,” Coleman said. “Some people who are in my profession, they don’t love it, but I really enjoy it because I always found makeup to be very therapeutic. I sometimes do my own makeup just before events just to calm down and chill. It’s kind of just my me time….I really enjoy it more as an art form. I’ve used [Lancôme’s] products for so long and it’s always been one of those staple brands of class and elegance, so it just felt like the right step.”

Coleman joins a stable of starlets who share a similar role on behalf of the beauty company, including Julia Roberts, Kate Winslet, Penélope Cruz, Lupita Nyong’o and Lily Collins, and is expected to be tied to a number of categories for the brand.

The deal, like others in its ambassador program is a long-term one, said Lancôme international president Françoise Lehmann.

“We don’t think about collaborations as short periods,” she said. “We have Julia Roberts, who has been with Lancôme for 10 years. Same with Penélope Cruz and Kate Winslet. So we don’t have it in mind as a short moment. We plan it for long [term].”

The news of Coleman’s deal comes as Lancôme continues to diversify the reach of its ambassador program with the hope the actress can help the brand appeal to a new, potentially younger consumer.

“She’s bringing charisma. She’s very influential and she has a youthful vision of beauty,” Lehmann said. “It will perfectly complement because we already have ambassadresses that are young: Lily Collins and Taylor Hill. So the collaboration with Zendaya perfectly complements and continues the vision of the brand.”

Both parties recognize the fine line that’s being walked with deals such as this and in simply how marketers speak to consumers, regardless of age, today.

“I’m young and if I overdid the Millennial thing it just comes off as it’s not real,” Coleman said. “As somebody who is one, I can easily say I’m going to find that corny or I’m not going to be into that, so if you try to over-relate, you end up not relating at all. It’s more so just about being authentic and being honest and not trying too hard, just allowing yourself to exist.”

She’s hitting home a point that marketers have been adopting to keep pace as they seek to remain relevant to consumers. It’s partially what has allowed for the growth of influencer marketing, something Lehmann and Lancôme see plenty of value in and a large runway for growth.

“The role of influencers is definitely a new dimension in beauty since some years now and it’s part of the beauty landscape,” Lehmann said. “The names are evolving. The names are changing, but it’s definitely a new role. It doesn’t mean that the other aspects of the beauty landscape are disappearing. I think the positive point with this dimension is that it allows you to establish a direct link with consumers, which I find great. There are hurdles you have to address. There are also dangers, but in so many ways, it’s a very positive evolution because it allows a direct contact with consumers and also a conversation.”

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