Maybelline Modernizes Iconic 1991 Slogan With New Punctuation

Maybelline has unveiled a modernization of its globally recognized jingle, first introduced in 1991. The brand is replacing its long-standing slogan, “Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline,” as part of a new campaign featuring singer Miley Cyrus. The update shifts the wording to “Maybe. We’re born with it. Maybe. It’s Maybelline,” moving from the singular “she” to a more inclusive, self-directed “we.” Alyx, I hear a certain makeup brand has updated its tagline. The jingle that has been burned into the minds of women around the world since its Christy Turlington-helmed debut in 1991, “Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline”, has received what has being described as a “modernisation”.

While the change in pronouns aims to foster a stronger connection with consumers, the aggressive use of full stops has sparked public debate.

Sandrine Jolly, global brand president of Maybelline New York, defended the stylistic choice in comments to WWD. She explained that the previous version conveyed a sense of doubt or hesitation, whereas the new, punctuated format serves as an intentional “statement of possibility” for women.

The reaction from the public has been polarized. Social media users have criticized the grammatical choices, with one commenter on an Instagram post by WWD noting that the misplaced periods were causing frustration for those sensitive to punctuation. Another response simply labeled the change as a poor grammatical decision. But it’s a punctuation change that is raising eyebrows. “Running to the comments to find the other Virgos with an eye twitching at these misplaced periods,” according to one remark on WWD’s Instgram post about the change. Or is this proof it’s 100% human-made.

The bold shift in phrasing and syntax has led to some speculation regarding the creative process behind the slogan, with some jokingly questioning if the update was generated by artificial intelligence. Regardless of the controversy, the brand maintains that the period represents clarity, effectively shedding the ambiguity that characterized the original jingle for over three decades.