Urban Decay Introduces ‘Words Hurt IRL’ Campaign in Support of National Stop Cyberbullying Day

Urban Decay Cosmetics has launched a campaign aimed at fight cyberbullying.

 

“Words Hurt IRL” is a new campaign debuting with a powerful, call-to-action video starring “Tall Girl” actress Ava Michelle. Debuting today in conjunction with National Stop Cyberbullying Day, “Words Hurt IRL” features a series of videos starring Michelle, a firsthand victim of bullying, both in real life and online. The videos share an impactful synopsis of her personal story and inspire viewers to “stop giving hateful words power” and to “cancel online hate together.” 

 

Michelle's career debuted as a star on “Dance Moms” where she was dismissed from the show as too tall, given her 6'2″ stature. She went on to find success on “So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation,” and as the lead actor on Netflix's hit show, “Tall Girl” and its sequel, “Tall Girl 2.”

 

“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,” said Michelle. “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. I am so thankful to Urban Decay for asking me to be a part of such a wonderful project and for always being a company that wants to do good. I am beyond proud of what we made!”

Worlds Hurt IRL is the newest element in Urban Decay's ongoing pledge to champion a call-to-action denouncing cyberbullying, one of the most destructive forms of mental health abuse plaguing the world today, with more than 50% of young adults personally subjected to harassing behavior online. In 2021, the brand committed to a multi-faceted campaign against cyberbullying, initiating a three-year partnership with The Cybersmile Foundation, an award-winning nonprofit committed to digital wellbeing and tackling all forms of bullying and abuse online. Given Urban Decay's formative stance as a leading digital marketer in the beauty industry, the allegiance to fight cyberbullying was a natural one designed to ensure the brand's community – both online and off – provides a welcoming, inclusive and safe space.

 

Urban Decay's collaboration with The Cybersmile Foundation was designed to develop education and support resources for important issues associated with cyberbullying and mental health. The first element premiered in February 2022 with six interactive Urban Decay x Cybersmile Education Modules and an accompanying digital changemaker toolkit, available for free to users of all ages. With the goal of reaching 500,000 people online, this education walks users through simple, impactful materials on everything from “Allyship on Social Media” to “Dealing With Online Bullying” to “Becoming a Changemaker.” The program can be found here and in the resources section of The Cybersmile Foundation website. 

 

The partnership also features a three-part $300,000 donation from Urban Decay to The Cybersmile Foundation, to be used towards furthering its work and efforts in the fight against cyberbullying.

Check out a clip of the campaign below: