Urban Decay Debuts New ‘WORDS HURT IRL’ Campaign
In an effort to combat the ongoing cyberbullying issue, makeup brand Urban Decay announced their new anti-cyberbullying campaign, “WORDS HURT IRL.” Launched on June 17 for Stop Cyberbullying Day, the campaign promotes Urban Decay’s initiative to fight one of the most harmful forms of mental abuse.
The campaign presents a heartfelt series of videos featuring Tall Girl star and victim of cyberbullying herself, Ava Michelle. Throughout the series, she discusses the online bullying she faced after appearing on Dance Moms. Michelle appeared in season 5 and was soon turned away due to her height at 6’2. Later on that season, Michelle opened up about the criticism she faced online because of her tall and thin stature while rehearsing a piece appropriately titled “Hurtful Words.”
According to a press release, Michelle mentions the importance of sharing experiences to be able to break the cycle of cyberbullying. She states, “I feel that one of the best things that you can do with the hardships you have faced, is to truly share those experiences with others and be able to learn and grow together… We make assumptions that we are alone in what we are going through, but it’s so important to know that we aren’t and it’s going to be ok.” Michelle also urges viewers to “stop giving hateful words power” and to “cancel online hate together.”
Learn how to make the internet a safer place for everyone by taking the Education Modules we created with @CybersmileHQ here: https://t.co/wWLqMgGQgF
— Urban Decay (@UrbanDecay) June 18, 2022
“WORDS HURT IRL” is a collaboration between Urban Decay and The Cybersmile Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to combatting online abuse and promoting mental wellness. The first part of the campaign was released in February of this year with a six-part educational module to reach 500,000 users. The modules educated users about “Allyship on Social Media” and “Becoming a Changemaker.”
Along with the educational modules and video series, the partnership includes a $300,000 donation from Urban Decay to further The Cybersmile Foundation’s work to end cyberbullying.
Click here to learn more about the campaign and Urban Decay’s partnership. We are incredibly proud of this campaign and hope to put an end to cyberbullying. Watch Urban Decay’s Online Bullying Hurts ad below.
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