The encyclopedia · Marketing & Brand · Marketing decision · 2025
L'Oréal's Urban Decay hired an OnlyFans creator — and triggered a backlash
Urban Decay hired OnlyFans star Ari Kytsya as brand ambassador for its 'Battle the Bland' campaign. Critics said the partnership clashed with its values.
Urban Decay · L'Oréal · 2025-07
What happened
In mid-2025, Urban Decay — a L'Oréal-owned cosmetics brand — named OnlyFans creator Ari Kytsya as a brand ambassador for its 'Battle the Bland' campaign. The campaign was TikTok-focused, aimed at younger consumers, and positioned Kytsya as a bold, rule-breaking face for the brand.
The partnership drew immediate criticism. Kytsya was best known for her adult content on OnlyFans, and critics questioned whether a mainstream beauty brand should platform a creator from an adult subscription site. The backlash centred on the perceived mismatch between Urban Decay's progressive, self-expression brand identity and a partnership with a creator whose primary following came from adult content.
Kytsya responded defiantly, telling Elite Daily: 'I don't give a f*** what people think' and 'I've never claimed to be anyone's moral compass.' She noted that Urban Decay was the first major brand willing to work with her, and that cosmetics were historically made for sex workers. The campaign continued despite the controversy.
Why it happened
- The brand's internal vetting did not account for the reputational risk of partnering with an adult-content creator — or the inevitable 'think of the children' backlash that followed.
- Urban Decay's core audience skews young, and critics framed the partnership as exposing teens to adult-content associations — whether fair or not, the framing dominated the coverage.
- The campaign framing ('Battle the Bland') invited media to focus on what made Kytsya different, which was precisely the adult-content origin the brand could not control the narrative around.
The lesson
When a brand campaigns on boldness, the backlash is part of the bet — but only if the brand has conviction to hold its ground. A reactive silence reads as regret.
Aftermath
The campaign continued despite the backlash. Kytsya gave a guest lecture at the University of Washington in November 2025, sparking further debate. Urban Decay did not publicly address the controversy, leaving critics and defenders to argue over a partnership the brand itself would not defend.
Sources
- Complex — OnlyFans Star Ari Kytsya Speaks Out After Urban Decay Ad Backlash
- Global Cosmetics News — Urban Decay Criticised for Hiring OnlyFans Creator Ari Kytsya
- Popsugar — Urban Decay's Partnership With OnlyFans' Ari Kytsya Is Major
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