Beiersdorf CEO says the singer is a 'no go' and that she will no longer serve as Nivea's spokesmodel.
By Jocelyn Vena
<P><a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/rihanna/artist.jhtml">Rihanna</a> will no longer serve as the face of beauty brand, Nivea. Stefan Heidenreich, the new CEO of Nivea's parent company Beiersdorf, announced that the pop sensation is a "no go."</P><P><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2184866/Rihanna-branded-sexy-Nivea-skincare-boss-following-sultry-advert.html" target="_blank">The Daily Mail</a> reports that Heidenreich told German newspaper <i>Welt</i> that Ri's presumed party-girl image does not work with the 100-year-old brand's more family-friendly one.</P><P>"I do not understand how to bring the core brand of Nivea in conjunction with Rihanna," Heidenreich said. "Nivea is a company which stands for trust, family and reliability."</P><P>Rihanna offered up a response to his statement, <a href="https://twitter.com/rihanna" target="_blank">tweeting</a> out his headshot with the caption, "No caption necessary." While it may seem like Rihanna had been fired by Nivea, a spokesperson for Beiersdorf clarified that while the focus of Nivea's ad campaigns has changed, Rihanna's departure is tied to planned end of her contract.</P><P>"In 2011 NIVEA worked with the artist Rihanna in the context of the brand's 100th birthday anniversary campaign. From the beginning this music-cooperation was scheduled for one year and ended as planned at the end of 2011," a spokesperson told U.K. website <a href="http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/news/nivea-boss-triggers-pr-scramble-over-rhianna-axe/4003171.article" target="_blank">Marketing Week</a>.</P><P>"Within the future brand positioning, Nivea focuses more than ever on its core values," the spokesperson continues. "This leads to a change in advertising strategy as well as marketing campaigns. Beiersdorf and Nivea thank Rihanna for her work in relation to the 100th birthday anniversary campaign and feel respect and sympathy for her as a person and artist."</P><P>Nivea <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/100-years-skincare-for-life-nivea-makes-billion-euro-investment-in-its-biggest-global-campaign-ever-121551263.html" target="_blank">announced their partnership</a> with Rihanna in spring 2011 and she appeared in ads and commercials for the skincare line. Her track "California King Bed" was used in advertising for the brand's "100 Years Skincare for Life" campaign. The brand also sponsored her<i>Loud</i> tour last year.</P><P>Rihanna is currently taking a break from work, tweeting from various exotic locales including her native Barbados to the south of France. She will be the subject of an episode of <a href="/news/articles/1691230/rihanna-oprah-barbados.jhtml">"Oprah's Next Chapter" on August 19</a>. She's also up for five awards at the <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/">2012 MTV Video Music Awards</a>. They get handed out live on September 6 in Los Angeles.</P><P><b>The <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/">2012 MTV Video Music Awards</a> will air live from Staples Center in Los Angeles on Thursday, September 6, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Head to <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/">VMA.MTV.com</a> now through August 24 to vote for your favorites, or text BNA to 22444 to vote for Best New Artist all the way through the show!</b></P><P><a href="http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1617615"><img src="http://www.mtv.com/news/photos/s/spotted/banner/spotted.jpg"></a></P>
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