Ulta has paused its mega budget ad campaign with Teen Vogue in the wake of its controversy surrounding incoming editor in chief, Alexi McCammond. The beauty retailer provided a statement to The Daily Beast confirming that it’s halting business with the publication and website over the debacle. Sources told The Daily Beast that the deal is likely worth a seven-figure sum to Teen Vogue.
In the statement, a company spokesperson said: “Diversity and inclusion are core values at Ulta Beauty—and always have been. Our current spend with Teen Vogue is paused as we work with Condé Nast to evaluate the situation and determine next steps regarding our partnership.”
It’s unknown if other crucial advertisers will follow suit, however The Wrap reports that the issue was raised as a major concern at a high-level Condé Nast sales meeting earlier this week. The latest update to this developing media snafu comes as McCammond shared another apology on Wednesday evening, this one totaling four pages. See below for more:
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ICYMI! Read on to hear the background to the story… [Originally published: Wednesday March 10]
Alexi McCammond has responded to backlash after news initially broke detailing racist, anti-Asian tweets sent by the incoming Teen Vogue EIC’s back in 2011. The 27-year-old’s apology was issued in an email circulated to staff, which was subsequently shared with multiple news outlets. Amid the controversy, Condé Nast has also defended its hire of the journalist.
McCammond’s email reportedly followed a meeting whereby Teen Vogue staff disclosed their concerns over her hire and the tweets, which she deleted in 2019. “I apologized for them years ago, but I want to be clear today: I apologize deeply to all of you for the pain this has caused,” the former political reporter wrote in the email, adding that she will “work doubly hard” to earn her staff’s trust following the incident.
Earlier this week, Teen Vogue staff released a statement on the matter, which circulated quickly on Twitter. “We’ve heard the concerns of our readers, and we stand with you,” the letter, which was shared by staff like senior politics editor Allegra Kirkland and fashion and beauty editor Michelle Li, reads. The statement included that the team wrote to Condé Nast about McCammond’s appointment, and that they are “hopeful that an internal conversation” will occur.
According to reports,the magazine’s staff also privately expressed concerns to Condé Nast’s CEO Roger Lynch and global chief content officer Anna Wintour over McCammond’s hiring process.
A note from teen vogue’s staff pic.twitter.com/oyfhN0mlk8
— Allegra Kirkland (@allegrakirkland) March 8, 2021
The Teen Vogue letter drew positive reactions from prominent editors and celebrities online, including some top editors from other Condé publications. “Proud of the Teen Vogue team for this letter, which couldn’t have been easy, and hope it goes without saying that I also denounce those sentiments,” Allure EIC Michelle Lee wrote on Instagram Stories.
The letter also received support and solidarity from Asian-American creatives, activists, and citizens, who collectively released a statement through Gold House within the #StopAsianHate movement. That post, which has since garnered shares from celebrities like Olivia Munn, Jamie Chung, and designers Prabal Gurung and Phillip Lim, thanks Teen Vogue‘s staff for speaking out against anti-Asian racism following the incident.
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Condé Nast issued a statement to the New York Post on Monday defending its hiring choice. It reads: “Alexi McCammond was appointed editor in chief of Teen Vogue because of the values, inclusivity, and depth she has displayed throughout her journalism.”
However, despite the various apologies, most reactions have not been positive and many have continued to protest McCammond’s appointment and criticize her apology on platforms like Instagram and Twitter. Industry watchdog Diet Prada simply stated “No” beneath a Next Shark Instagram post featuring the apology.
In addition to privatizing her Instagram account, McCammond has now also set her Twitter profile to private.
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