{"id":740,"date":"2017-05-19T14:23:27","date_gmt":"2017-05-19T18:23:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.olivia-wilde.net\/?p=740"},"modified":"2017-05-22T16:35:06","modified_gmt":"2017-05-22T20:35:06","slug":"olivia-signs-with-true-botanicals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.olivia-wilde.net\/?p=740","title":{"rendered":"Olivia Signs With True Botanicals"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Judging by Olivia Wilde<\/strong>\u2019s Instagram, the actress is not afraid to speak up for causes she supports \u2014 within the last few months, the American Civil Liberties Union<\/em>, Planned Parenthood<\/em> and the International Women\u2019s March<\/em> have all been mentioned in her feed.<\/p>\n

Wilde has signed with True Botanicals<\/strong> as its chief brand activist, WWD<\/em> has learned. She is the Mill Valley<\/em>, Calif.-based brand\u2019s first official celebrity endorsement, and the first prominent celebrity signing of a natural skin-care line in the beauty industry. The chief brand activist role \u2014 which Wilde and the business partners running the direct-sell luxury skin-care line are quick to say is more like that of a salaried employee in lieu of a traditional ambassadorship \u2014 was created specifically for her.<\/p>\n

For Wilde, the role is a far cry from her contract with Revlon, where she was signed as a face from 2011 to the end of last year. The move from representing mass brand to niche natural is just the latest sign of the continuing shift in the consumer drive toward wellness-oriented, better-for-you products. But even True Botanicals isn\u2019t so niche anymore \u2014 in March, Unilever Ventures acquired a minority stake in the company as part of a $3 million<\/strong> round of seed funding. Wilde is planning on playing an active role in promoting the brand via her social media channels, as well as working on projects with the True Botanicals team.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s the spark,\u201dsaid Christina Mace-Turner<\/em>, chief executive officer of True Botanicals<\/em>. \u201cWe\u2019re part of a growing number of businesses thinking about sustainable practices and changing the norms in our industry. Olivia completely got what we were doing and it felt like a very natural partnership.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Of her new title, \u201cWe sort of made it up,\u201d said Wilde. \u201cI\u2019m thrilled to be part of the company as an advocate and help spread the word about the important mission they\u2019re on, whether it\u2019s talking to consumers and vouching for it personally, testifying before congress, learning about the research behind the need for these [nontoxic] products, learning about clinical trials, [or becoming involved in the actual [product development]. I\u2019m really eager to learn more about what consumers are looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone is a part of it for the right reasons,\u201d said Wilde. \u201cIt\u2019s a very different experience than working for Revlon, which is a massive global brand and has a legacy, [unlike] something new and trying to change the game like True Botanicals.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Founder and president Hillary Peterson started True Botanicals two years ago, after several years running another natural skin-care brand, Marie Veronique. A survivor of both thyroid cancer and melanoma, the former Levi Strauss & Co. marketing exec switched industries and became a product safety activist after learning about the effects of toxins on people and the environment. All True Botanicals products are formulated sustainably and without toxins, and are Made Safe certified \u2014 a third-party organization that evaluates household and personal care products. The upscale products, which include serums, oils and masks, are sold for the most part directly to the consumer, except for a few Barneys New York accounts in major cities, natural beauty store Follain and in the Auberge resorts and hotels.<\/p>\n

Safe personal-care products are a passion point for Wilde, who noted that her interest flared after becoming pregnant with children Otis, age three, and Daisy, seven months.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuddenly you think, \u2018Oh, I shouldn\u2019t use that sunscreen, that face wash, that shampoo,\u201d said Wilde. \u201cWhen you think about the EU, there are more than 1,000 [ingredients] banned, and here it\u2019s under 20. It\u2019s up to us in this country to regulate what we\u2019re using because we cannot trust the government to regulate them in a safe way.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The partnership with True Botanicals came up simply because Wilde liked the products \u2014 they worked for her. \u201cPeople assume these nontoxic, natural products are beautiful and lovely and they smell great and you feel pious using them, but that they aren\u2019t actually going to solve the problems you have,\u201d said Wilde. \u201c[True Botanicals] actually addresses specific issues \u2014 whether it\u2019s antiaging or acne. Once I tried the products I thought, \u2018This is something really exciting.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

That organic connection is key to the brand\u2019s influencer strategy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf somebody tries and loves the products, we\u2019ll start a conversation,\u201d said Peterson. \u201cWe\u2019re all about authentic discovery and sharing of the brand.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And in her new role, Wilde is expected to maintain that authenticity. \u201cWe want Olivia to play herself,\u201d said Mace-Turner. \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t be a fit if she didn\u2019t love our products or believe in our mission \u2014 we\u2019re looking to eradicate selling toxic products to women, and that\u2019s what Olivia is looking to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of this is about providing consumers with accurate information. Celebrity culture not only accelerates purchase and use of a lot of products out there, it gives the impression that those products are safe,\u201d agreed Peterson. \u201cWith Olivia\u2019s support, we can tell the story and show that businesses can be profitable and benefit the health of everyone involved \u2014 and the environment. She really cares as much as we do about helping to change the industry, and we\u2019ll look for innovative ways to do that together.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For Wilde, the partnership extends beyond just her relationship with the brand \u2014 it\u2019s a social cause.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the generation that will change this,\u201d said Wilde. \u201cOur kids won\u2019t have to worry about this stuff \u2014 they\u2019ll look back and say, \u2018I can\u2019t believe you guys were slathering that stuff on your skin.\u2019 I get to say I was part of the solution and tell my kids, \u2018I worked really hard to make sure you had an alternative.\u2019\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ellen Thomas<\/strong> \/ WWD<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Judging by Olivia Wilde\u2019s Instagram, the actress is not afraid to speak up for causes she supports \u2014 within the last few months, the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood and the International Women\u2019s March have all been mentioned in her feed. Wilde has signed with True Botanicals as its chief brand activist, WWD has … <\/p>\n

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