At the beginning of February, the VKE Cosmetics Association and the Fragrance Foundation Germany launched the industry initiative "I am not a copy – #undupable". The aim of the campaign is to combat the growing spread of counterfeits, imitations and lookalikes in the cosmetics and fragrance industry. At the same time, it aims to highlight the importance of originality, intellectual property and consumer transparency. The initiative is aimed equally at brand manufacturers, retailers, creative professionals and consumers, emphasises the interest group representing manufacturers and distributors in the selective cosmetics market.

Making a personal statement

The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of what distinguishes an original from a counterfeit and to emphasise the importance of intellectual property, quality and responsibility. A central element of the "I am not a copy" initiative is a participatory format that involves companies and individuals. Using a digital image generator on the website ichbinkeinekopie.org, participants can create a personal campaign motif and thus make a visible public statement for originality and against product copies. "Originality is the foundation of our industry," emphasises Andreas Fuhlisch, managing director of the VKE Cosmetics Association. "Innovation, creative achievement and a clear stance against plagiarised products are not luxury concepts, but economic necessities."

Prominent support

"Ich bin keine Kopie" is supported by personalities from the cosmetics and fragrance world as well as from the media and creative professions, including perfumer Alberto Morillas, presenter Frauke Ludowig, entrepreneur Lena Gercke and make-up artist Boris Entrup. The campaign was conceived by the Berlin-based creative agency sisterMAG Studio. According to the initiators, the beauty industry invests large sums of money annually in research, development and safety testing to ensure high standards of quality and performance. At the same time, however, there has been an increase in counterfeit products, which are distributed via digital platforms as well as brick-and-mortar retailers. These products could unsettle consumers and weaken the innovative power of original brands. The VKE Cosmetics Association, based in Berlin, represents more than 60 member companies with 250 brands, some of which are world-renowned, and an annual turnover of 2.5 billion euros.

Source: VKE Cosmetics Association