Laura Geller turned a cease-and-desist letter into a social campaign

In April, beauty brand Laura Geller released a campaign called “Own your age,” which featured comedian Leanne Morgan playing a fictional character named Dr. Vick. The video is a parody of Progressive Insurance’s long-running Dr. Rick campaign, but instead of helping clients into affordable insurance, Dr. Vick helped mature women find the right makeup for them. 

On May 7, Laura Geller received a cease-and-desist letter from Progressive, according to Laura Geller’s parent company, AS Beauty. But instead of beginning a quiet back-and-forth with Progressive, Laura Geller launched a new social media campaign on Tuesday with an open letter to Progressive and a free gift with purchase offer for the insurance company’s policyholders. 

“Our first stop is always legal, so we had a conversation where [our legal advisors] evaluated the letter and [we realized it] didn’t have much merit to [make us] take the campaign down,” Sara Mitzner, vp of brand marketing at AS Beauty, told Glossy. Once the team got the legal clearance, they began brainstorming with Laura Geller PR firm Alison Brod on how to respond. 

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