MAYBELLINE SLOGANS OVER THE YEARS

LIST OF MAYBELLINE SLOGANS

• “Beautify Your Eyes” (1915-1920s)
• “Isn’t She, or Isn’t She” (1940s)
• “What a Difference Maybelline Makes” (1950s)
• “Achieve the new Exotic eye make up with Maybelline” (1950s)
• “Be Fashion-wise accent your eyes with Maybelline” (1950s)
• “Preferred By Smart Women The World Over” (1950s-1960s)
• “Maybelline, Maybelline Ooh La La” (1981-1991)
• “Maybe She’s Born with It, Maybe It’s Maybelline” (1991-2015)
• “Make It Happen” (2015-2024)
• “Maybe It’s Maybelline” (2024-Present)

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BEAUTIFY YOUR EYES

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1915-1920s

Thomas Lyle Williams created this beauty slogan when he launched his eye beautifier after watching his sister Mabel mix Vaseline with coal dust to darken her singed eyelashes. This slogan made Maybelline the world’s first modern eye makeup company after it was founded in Chicago.

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ISN’T SHE, OR ISN’T SHE

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1940s

This slogan appeared in magazine spreads during World War II with before-and-after photos featuring pin-up stars like Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth. Maybelline sold three mascara colors back then. Your only options were black, brown, and blue. Because America was coming out of the Great Depression, Maybelline promoted itself as both quality and affordable.

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WHAT A DIFFERENCE MAYBELLINE MAKES

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1950s

When the Second Great War ended, women were increasingly part of the workforce, so the company targeted independent modern women with this phrase. Emery Shaver, who wrote every Maybelline slogan from 1915 to 1964, developed this line.

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ACHIEVE THE NEW EXOTIC EYE MAKE UP WITH MAYBELLINE

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1950s

This slogan made “Exotic” the decade’s catchword. It was featured in Maybelline commercials as they started promoting their cosmetics in a new medium: television. The phrase captured the 1950s fascination with sophisticated, international beauty trends.

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BE FASHION-WISE ACCENT YOUR EYES WITH MAYBELLINE

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1950s

Another Emery Shaver creation, this slogan stressed intelligence and style consciousness. The messaging positioned eye makeup as a smart fashion choice. No longer was eyeliner a vanity for women, but a must-have.

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PREFERRED BY SMART WOMEN THE WORLD OVER

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1950s-1960s

This slogan appealed to discerning women globally. The slogan was used alongside Maybelline's newest product—its first automatic mascara, “Magic Mascara,” in 1959. Advertisements of the time emphasized both intelligence and international reach.

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MAYBELLINE, MAYBELLINE OOH LA LA

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1981-1991

This French-inspired musical slogan marked Maybelline’s shift toward playful advertising. Part of a series of advertising that would last about ten years. The company hired former Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter as its spokeswoman during this campaign.

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MAYBE SHE’S BORN WITH IT, MAYBE IT’S MAYBELLINE

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1991-2015

Created by Wasserstein Perella & Co.’s marketing team in 1991, this slogan became the most recognizable tagline in 150 years, according to CBS Outdoor. The slogan’s brilliance lay in suggesting Maybelline makeup looked so natural that viewers couldn’t tell natural beauty from enhancement.

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MAKE IT HAPPEN

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2015-2024

Maybelline replaced the famous predecessor with this empowering phrase to inspire women pursuing their dreams through self-expression. The campaign featured influential women sharing personal triumph stories, but proved less memorable than the previous slogan.

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MAYBE IT’S MAYBELLINE

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2024-Present

Maybelline brought back its iconic tagline in September 2024, but made it shorter and more concrete. The beauty brand is currently featuring this slogan with a social media twist for the TikTok generation. Sonic branding agency Sixième Son developed a new melody while ambassadors like Gigi Hadid and Shay Mitchell promote the updated concept.