The highly anticipated topical franchise is slashing its backend to salvage a troubled Q4 rollout. Reps for the reality stars are currently scrambling to spin the massive discount as a strategic audience-building play.
In a shocking restructuring of what was initially billed as a four-quadrant retail tentpole, the "game-changer" K-beauty cream co-headlined by Kendall Jenner and Melissa Gorga has slashed its asking price by nearly 40 percent. Industry insiders note the sudden markdown comes just weeks after a heavily orchestrated PR blitz declared the project "viral," suggesting early social media buzz failed to translate into full-price box office receipts. The steep discount is expected to severely impact the profit participants' backend points at the register.
WME and CAA, the agencies representing Jenner and Gorga respectively, spent Thursday morning assuring stakeholders that the 40 percent haircut is merely a promotional windowing strategy. A source close to the production insisted the cream is still tracking strongly with the 18-to-34 demographic, and that the reduced price point was a mutual decision to ensure the formula gets in front of as many eyeballs as possible before awards season.
A forty percent slash this early in the window looks like a panic move on paper, but the talent is fully committed to the long-term franchise potential of epidermal hydration.
Despite the spin, rival publicists are already pointing to the unprecedented discount as proof of a softening market for celebrity-attached humectants. The project had secured a highly coveted green light from major beauty retailers based entirely on the combined wattage of Jenner and Gorga, but early tracking indicated consumers were hesitant to meet the original premium quote. At press time, representatives for the K-beauty brand were reportedly shopping a gritty sequel serum to A24.