Maybelline New York is an American multinational cosmetics brand, launching their campaign in Australia called Through Their Eyes. This campaign focuses on the ongoing harassment that women face in the online gaming community.

The campaign includes two women, Amber “PaladinAmber” and Luna “Luminumn” to spectate male content creators, Joel “JoelBergs” Bergs and Drew “DrewDog” Warne who used a female voice changer in a Call of Duty lobby. When using their mics in the game, they were harassed, commonly told to ‘go back to the kitchen’, objectified, and sexually harassed. Players had even left lobbies when Joel and Drew had spoken. After, both men looked defeated. Drew had mentioned, “It’s rough isn’t it?.” 

A survey from Bryter in 2020 had conducted that 58% of women had experienced some form of abuse in video games. About 66% of these women had experienced it while playing in online lobbies. Bryter also mentions that 40% of women face verbal abuse while 28% have been sexually harassed. A sizable portion of women, 49%, had also stated that it ruins the game. Luna stated in Maybelline’s video, “The only way you can really get through it is by surrounding yourself with people that genuinely support you and genuinely love you.”

“Gaming is made for everyone and it should be experienced by everyone,” said Amber.

Women’s Agenda, an Australian based News Company, tweeted out:

In Australia, 83 per cent of female identifying gamers experience discrimination and receive offensive behaviour or language while online gaming.

Maybelline has a new campaign to shine a light on the issue.https://t.co/aAokmsneEI

— Women’s Agenda (@WomensAgenda) February 23, 2023

However, it is not only toxic lobbies that perpetuate these stereotypes of girl gamers. Brands like Razer, contribute to these. Posting a video of sexualizing women who play video games, to promote their products. Tiktoker Kristabyte expresses her frustration in a video, “Do you want to know the wrong way to market to women who game” and in the caption, “Whose idea was this?”

According to Maybelline’s website, “Maybelline New York’s mission is to give all people the self-confidence to express their beauty, to play and to make change. So, we’re saying no to discrimination, bullying, and harassment. Empowering those that feel vulnerable with the confidence to say: Eyes Up — look at me in the eyes and see me as an equal.”