We are proud to announce the launch of "Online Bullying Hurts IRL," a global initiative that pledges to bring deeper awareness to the personal toll of online bullying and promote digital wellbeing. We will be working closely with Urban Decay as part of a 3-year partnership to guide and educate the brand's consumers, fans, and corporate community across their website and social channels.
The core of this global initiative is to recognize the very tangible and negative impacts that result from both seemingly innocent teasing and very severe, obvious bullying. Alongside Urban Decay Cosmetics, we will be working together to help make the Internet and social media a space that is safe for all, educating its consumers, fans, and employees to recognize the signs, responsibly intervene, and positively change the conversation.
It is within the core DNA of Urban Decay Cosmetics that we celebrate what makes us unique, challenging the social norms of beauty. We encourage beauty to be real, unexpected, and most importantly, a tool for unleashing our most authentic selves. Everyone should have the equal right to enjoy a connected world where we feel free and safe to express our individuality.
Cheryl Vitali, Global President, L'Oréal Luxe Brands
As part of the campaign, we will be partnering with select influencers to share personal stories of their experiences with online bullying. Fans and followers will be encouraged to comment a heart emoji on these posts to show their support. For each heart shared on the brand's Instagram post, Urban Decay Cosmetics will donate $1 to us in support of our mission, and up to a $150,000 donation through September 24th.
We can tackle cyberbullying and celebrate the uniqueness and individuality within each of us. We are a brand that has always championed what makes us different, and we want to encourage that no one should diminish what makes them beautifully different in the face of a bully.
Wende Zomnir, Founding Partner, Urban Decay Cosmetics
In an Urban Decay survey of over 1,000 respondents based in the United States, 55% have noted they've felt afraid to express who they are because of the fear of online bullying. Additionally, 76% of those who experienced online bullying noted the harassment was targeted based on their appearance.
Cybersmile is proud and excited to partner with Urban Decay Cosmetics to tackle the growing problem of cyberbullying and online abuse on a global level. This partnership will enable us to positively impact huge numbers of people with hope, education, and support for a wide range of issues affecting people online. We look forward to working together to highlight that we can all be changemakers in some capacity while empowering people to deal with cyberbullying effectively and confidently as an intended target and bystander.
Scott Freeman, CEO, The Cybersmile Foundation
Throughout the 3-year partnership, we will work closely together to develop education resources for important issues including cyberbullying, mental health, and digital wellbeing, all designed to ensure the brand's community is always a welcoming, inclusive, and safe space.