Easy, breezy, Gen X

Different direction: CoverGirl advertisements on display in Times Square, New York. Coty says the decision to chase older customers comes as the brand has lost some of its cachet with younger buyers. — AFP

A DECADE ago, a rising star named Zendaya was tapped to be the new face of CoverGirl at 19 years old. A few years before, the brand had enlisted a promising 20-year-old songwriter, Taylor Swift, as a global ambassador.

Since CoverGirl’s launch in 1961, the American cosmetics brand has consistently relied on up-and-coming celebrities and youthful models to sell make-up to its target demographic: young shoppers.