Celebrity Name: Misty Copeland
Brand Name: MERIT
Deal Type: Brand Campaign + Limited-Edition Set
Announced: April 2026
Impact: Elevates MERIT’s skin-first positioning, expands The Uniform’s reach to ballet and wellness fans, and further solidifies Copeland’s crossover influence in premium beauty
- MERIT has tapped iconic ballet dancer Misty Copeland to front the campaign for its new The Uniform Tinted Mineral SPF 45, a daily mineral sunscreen built for real routines with sheer, soft-focus coverage and zero white cast.
- Alongside the campaign, MERIT launched “The Misty Set,” a limited-edition, four-piece collection hand-curated by Copeland herself, featuring the Bronze Balm, Flush Balm blush, Clean Lash mascara, and The Uniform Tinted SPF.
- The campaign’s creative concept centers on habit, championing SPF as a non-negotiable daily ritual, not an afterthought.
- This marks MERIT’s continued strategy of pairing purposeful celebrity storytellers with product launches, following prior campaigns with Christina Ricci, Issa Rae, Martha Stewart, and Padma Lakshmi.
MERIT has made its boldest campaign move yet, enlisting first-ever Black principal dancer of American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland, as the face of its newly launched The Uniform Tinted Mineral SPF 45.
The shoot draws on the theme of daily habit, positioning SPF as an essential part of every morning routine. The product itself delivers broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection in a lightweight, non-comedogenic formula across 15 inclusive shades, designed as a daily mineral sunscreen that fits seamlessly into real routines, offering sheer, soft-focus coverage that feels lightweight on skin.
Beyond the campaign, the partnership produced something even more special: “The Misty Set,” a limited-edition, four-product edit hand-curated by Copeland herself, pulling from her actual routine: Bronze Balm, Flush Balm blush, Clean Lash mascara, and the new Uniform Tinted Mineral SPF.
Copeland’s makeup artist Boykin used MERIT’s Great Skin Moisturizer to prep Copeland’s skin before applying The Uniform Tinted SPF in Shade 20, creating a fresh and luminous base for her show-stopping performance at the 98th Academy Awards earlier this year.
MERIT has built its ambassador strategy around celebrities, and Copeland is no exception. Her MERIT campaign comes on the heels of her Thorne Women’s Health Campaign with Lana Condor, fronting their Perimenopause Complete launch. She has also appeared in Aveeno campaigns and Togethxr’s “Strength Issue.”
For MERIT, prior celebrity partnerships have included Christina Ricci for the Solo Shadow Sheen launch and a star-studded 2025 roster featuring Ego Nwodim and Heidi Gardner.
Takeaways
MERIT continues to prove that beauty campaigns don’t need flash, they need fit. Pairing Copeland, a dancer defined by discipline and daily physical commitment, with an SPF product built around routine is genuinely smart brand storytelling.
Copeland brings credibility in both the beauty and wellness worlds right now, making this a dual-audience win for MERIT. The “Misty Set” is the real kicker though, it transforms a campaign into a commerce moment, giving fans a tangible piece of the partnership to buy into.
Do curated sets from celebrities influence what you buy, or do you still prefer building your own routine? Which type of star (actor, musician, athlete, or dancer) do you trust most in beauty ads?
