• by Larissa Faw , June 28, 2018

Il-Makiage wasn't necessarily trying to be controversial for its U.S. relaunch, but several taglines in a new campaign were deemed too "provocative" for NYC's Metropolitan Transit Authority to be advertised in the city's subway system.

Rejected messages included “If you see something say it to someone else,” “Don’t even think about manspreading,” and “It’s not the heatwave down there, it’s me." 

These messages — developed with agency Huge — were designed to speak directly to confident, successful women who are equal parts swagger and substance, with the overarching concept aimed at redefining high maintenance. "After all, there’s nothing 'high maintenance' about being strong, successful, having high standards, knowing your self worth and demanding to be treated accordingly," says an agency spokesperson.

In addition to social media support, NYC billboards feature four models ranging in ethnic diversity conveying a “don’t give a f*ck” attitude with similarly-toned headlines. These ads followed an earlier teaser phase, where plain black billboards with bold white headlines claiming “Minimalism is dead” took over NYC, driving onlookers to @IlMakiage, its U.S. market Instagram handle. 

NYC is the first U.S. city to receive ad support as part of the brand's first pop-up store. Additional U.S. outlets are likely to open soon, and Il Makiage ships its products throughout the U.S.