Jones Road founder Bobbi Brown has spoken openly about the need to change the name of a new product launch following concerns surrounding alleged similarities to model and actress Molly Sims’ YISE Beauty (previously known as YSE Beauty).
The concealer, originally named Wide Awake, launched on 15 September but saw confusion from some users on social media for its supposed similarities to YISE Beauty’s Wide Awake eye cream.
“Is this a colab with Molly [of YISE Beauty]?,” commented Bernadette Rogan McLaughlin (@dettemclaughlin) on the Instagram post announcing Jones Road’s launch.
Another user, going only by @aurum227, commented on the same post: “Déjà vu.”
Sims took to Instagram on 20 September to share her thoughts, captioning the reel ‘This is not about a name’.
Sims said in the Instagram reel: “It is about ideas and the work that goes into bringing something to life.
“I am not mad. I am just incredibly disappointed.”
Jones Road Beauty has since taken steps to rectify this, with founder Brown sharing a statement to her own Instagram page, in which the make-up artist claimed she and her team “did not realise” YISE Beauty had a product in the same name.
The statement read: “Hi everyone. Last week, the Jones Road Beauty team and I launched Wide Awake neutraliser and concealer.
“We did not realise Molly Sims has a product with the same name in her YISE Beauty collection.
“This was a mistake. Prior to our launch, a trademark search showed no other ownership of the name.
“However, we are changing our product name moving forward, and will no longer call it Wide Awake.
“I would never knowingly copy another product's name.
“To Molly Sims and her team at YISE, I am sorry this happened, and we are taking steps to correct it.
“Sincerely, Bobbi.”
The new product name has yet to be revealed.
Cosmetics Business has reached out to both YISE Beauty and Jones Road for further comment.
What did YISE Beauty founder Molly Sims say about Jones Road Beauty's Wide Awake concealer?
In the video posted on 20 September, Sims noted how Jones Road’s new launch – and the marketing campaign around it – felt “a little too close to home”.
She said: “I do not normally post stuff like this, but over the last few days, I have had friends, customers, brand partners, retail partners DM [direct message], text and email me that a brand that I love [to] use and support not only used the exact name of a product I launched two years ago, but also their marketing copy and campaign feels a little too close to home.
“You can delete the comments, but my YISE loyalists run deep and can tell when something is off.
“I launched Wide Awake two plus years ago.
“It is one of my best-selling products that I have worked on for years.
“Earlier this year, we launched new tints in a big campaign that we have worked on for months.
“I cannot explain how disappointed, honestly sad, and hurt I am to see this from another female founder [whom] I have known for years and have looked up to in this industry.
“I have the privilege of working with a primarily female team who busts their freaking asses every day to make this dream happen.
“My marketing team of five. We are small, but we are mighty.
“We have tiny budgets. We are incredibly scrappy. I mean, you would not believe the places we go.
“There is room for all of us, all of us. There is room for more women to build great brands, create great products and have great ideas of their own.
“We should be inspiring each other, not taking from each other.
“As a mom of three, like I tell my kids all the time, I am not mad at you, but gosh, I am incredibly disappointed.”
Related comment:
- Jones Road Beauty’s nameless product and the power of restrained marketing
- ‘It is just important for me to move on’: Bobbi Brown speaks on selling her namesake brand in podcast
- Jones Road Beauty CEO Cody Plofker is stepping down
- MUA Bobbi Brown claims last two years at namesake brand left her ‘miserable’
- Molly Sims’ YSE Beauty closes $15 million Series A funding round
