news

Rosie Batty's Lancôme ad reminds us of the real value of women.

Since her son’s tragic murder by her former partner in 2014, Rosie Batty has become the unofficial face of domestic violence awareness in Australia. It’s a role that helped spark the Royal Commission into child abuse and earned her the title of 2015 Australian of the Year.

And now it’s landed her a surprising new gig as one of the faces of beauty brand Lancôme.

The 54-year-old will join Kate Winslet and Penelope Cruz to front the Génifique Love Your Age campaign, and in the process will become the first Aussie to star in commercials for the iconic French label.

“I was immediately interested in the campaign as family violence hasn’t had support from outside of the women’s services sector, so to partner with a brand that is female-focused and has such a large reach will do great things to get our message out there,” Batty told Fairfax Media.

Listen to Mia Freedman’s chat with Rosie Batty on No Filter.

Batty will appear in a number of emotionally charged short films to be aired on Lancôme’s social media platforms that will highlight her achievements as a means of empowering and inspiring women of all ages.

One video introducing Batty has already attracted more than 1 million views on Facebook.

It says, “The norm says at 50 you’re too old to start a revolution. At 52 Rosie Batty championed the rights of women and instigated a federal inquest demanding action.

“The norm says at 50 you’re too old to feel accomplished. At 54 Rosie was cited by Fortune magazine as the 33rd most influential leader in the world.

“It’s never too early, never too late to be all you can be.”

The campaign will culminate in a nation-wide fundraising day on October 11, for which Lancôme will match every dollar donated at beauty counters around Australia toward the Luke Batty Foundation, the domestic violence support organisation the Victorian mother launched in memory of her son.

Rather than accepting payment for her appearance in the campaign, Batty also requested that the brand donate her fee to the foundation.