Maybelline Drops 35-Year Tagline and Gets Backlash, Reddit Turns Talk Into Reviews

By Tom Whitfield

Maybelline New York retired a 35-year-old tagline on Nov. 10 and drew immediate backlash over a single punctuation mark. The brand replaced "Maybe she's born with it. Maybe it's Maybelline" with "Maybe. We're born with it. Maybe. It's Maybelline," swapping "she's" for "we're" and adding periods after each "maybe" to turn ambiguity into what the brand called a "statement of possibility," per WWD.

Critics pounced on the punctuation. A standalone "Maybe." reads as sarcasm or skepticism rather than confidence, per Slate. Allure's editorial team called the original "one of the greatest beauty slogans ever," noting that its "rhythm and satisfying payoff are now gone." The criticism cuts across the political spectrum: some called the change unnecessarily "woke," while others simply argued the grammar fails, per Marketing Dive.

Why the timing stings for Maybelline

The brand operates in a market increasingly dominated by celebrity and influencer lines and recently slipped to third place in a key teen consumer survey. It retired the original tagline in 2016 for "Make It Happen," then revived it in 2024 — when 84% of consumers still remembered it, per New Beauty.

Erica Williams of Bold Vision PR calls the episode a case study in overcorrection. "Modernizing a brand identity isn't simply about reaching new audiences or driving revenue," Williams says. "It's also about understanding how a change could affect the trust, recognition, and loyalty a brand has already established."

Her advice for communicators: run a risk assessment before changing brand messaging. That means gauging how new and existing audiences will perceive the shift, examining the emotional connection tied to established brand elements and reviewing consumer feedback and community conversations. "Brands should make room for new ideas while preserving the qualities that make them recognizable and trusted," she says.

The takeaway: change itself is not the risk. Unexamined change is.

What does Reddit Reviews change for brands?

Reddit launched "Reddit Reviews" this week, an AI feature that organizes user product conversations into structured summaries covering what people like, dislike and what trade-offs to weigh before buying. TechCrunch reports the feature is rolling out to all U.S. users, starting with roughly 10,000 products across electronics, video games, health and beauty, home and garden, and fashion and apparel. Users see a "what people are saying" summary, a visual breakdown of positive versus negative sentiment, topic filters and click-throughs to original threads.

The launch lands ahead of the holiday shopping season, when product research spikes. It also follows Reddit's shift toward a logged-in experience as Google search traffic declines, per TechCrunch. The strategy is clear: if people research products, Reddit wants to be the destination, not a source Google references.

The feature raises the stakes. Structured AI summaries make Reddit communities' verdicts more visible — and more valuable — which also makes the platform a bigger target for fake reviews and brand manipulation. Reddit points to its community rules, moderator network and recent anti-spam measures as safeguards, but the tension between authentic community and monetizable product will require active management.

Nikki Balles, founder and chief brand officer at The Brand House Agency, says the reviews could shift influence away from influencers. "Consumers are becoming increasingly aware that what they're seeing isn't always an authentic POV," Balles says. "Genuine experiences are incredibly valuable, but they also put enormous pressure on brands to deliver on their promises without the fluff."

Brands that have ignored Reddit may want to reconsider.

Can a CEO hotline turn a report into a conversation?

e.l.f. Beauty published its fifth annual Impact Report on Nov. 12 with an unusual add-on: CEO Tarang Amin's phone number. The browser-based hotline "Dial '0' for Zero Distance" connects callers to Amin to hear which of six causes the company should prioritize: women's health, fair and ethical business, empowering the next generation, women and girls in sports, diverse representation in leadership, and survivor rights and advocacy.

Amin picked up the phone live from 12 to 3 p.m. ET on Nov. 13 to speak with selected callers. On Nov. 19, e.l.f. opens its company Impact Town Hall to the public via LinkedIn Live and Twitch Live.

The report's headline figures:

• e.l.f.'s board ranks in the top 1% of diverse boards at publicly traded U.S. companies; 58% of graduates from its board readiness program with the National Association of Corporate Directors have secured board placements.
• Through rhode, the company backs a $5 million, three-year commitment to the Foundation for Women's Health for research in historically underfunded areas.
• A partnership with RIVET helps 100 young women changemakers across the UK and India access funding, training and mentorship.
• Its Fair Trade Community Development Fund supported worker-led initiatives benefiting more than 1,600 people across healthcare, housing, transportation and other needs.
• In FY26, e.l.f. donated 4.8% of its FY25 net income to giving back.

Samantha Critchell, vice president of corporate communications at e.l.f., says the campaign's core goal is showing the community it gets the "real deal" on positivity, inclusivity and accessibility. "The only way co-creation happens is through a two-way dialogue," Critchell says. "The eagerness to have that conversation is why Zero Distance works. A willingness to take in feedback and then take action is the how. The who starts at the top of our organization: Tarang Amin is sending a signal by removing filters and barriers."

Instead of publishing a report and waiting for coverage, e.l.f. built a feedback loop into it — a model that turns a CSR document into a conversation and a CEO into a spokesperson for community values, not just company performance.