Skincare brand Proactiv has been accused of 'queerbaiting' in its latest advertising push starring Kendall Jenner.
The campaign by Proactiv began over the weekend with Kardashian/Jenner matriach Kris Jenner sharing a tweet praising her daughter for being “so brave and vulnerable” in a then-unspecified interview.
Speculation soon ran rife about what Kendall would be revealing with some speculating it could be about her sexuality.
Fans were left feeling cheated when it turned out Kendall had inked an endorsement deal with acne skincare brand Proactiv, joining a long list of celebrity faces including Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Jessica Simpson and Mandy Moore.
Promoting the skincare product, Kendall shared a video of how she had dealt with having acne on the Golden Globes red carpet last year.
https://twitter.com/Proactiv/status/1082070128106196992But the personal story fell flat with her fans, who accused the model of overhyping the announcement and "queerbaiting".
https://twitter.com/stephenossola/status/1082070128106196992So Kendall Jenner’s big announcement is about her skin and basically a Proactiv endorsement? GURL pic.twitter.com/sepefMrgRz
— 90s Anime ✨ (@KeikoYYH) January 7, 2019
Kris Jenner: Kendall is going to make a difficult but important announcement tomorrow!
— Jappy!🐢🇨🇱🌳 (@Jappy_AF) January 7, 2019
Internet: BI BI BI BI 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈
Kendall: im the new face of proactiv!
Internet: pic.twitter.com/1WMYvOXKcI
NOT here for kendall jenner’s announcement being that she’s the new face of proactiv. really??? you hyped me up so you can tell me you sell face washes now????????
— دانة (@palestiniangal3) January 7, 2019
This is the second major advertising campaign that has sparked backlash for Kendall with her infamous Pepsi ad having to be pulled after accusations it was racist.
It's also one of several occasions that a member of the Kardashian/Jenner family have been questioned on the authenticity of their sponsored social media posts, having previously come under fire for a lack of disclosure.
Proactiv is yet to respond to the backlash.
Ads from Proactiv's past
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.