Mielle signs LSU basketball star Angel Reese as ambassador

Dive Brief:

Hair care brand Mielle Organics has signed All-American Louisiana State University basketball star Angel Reese as an ambassador, marking her first major name, image and likeness beauty deal.
As ambassador for Mielle, Reese's activation with the brand will include marketing, social media, events and a limited-edition product bundle, according to a press release emailed to Retail Dive.
The NIL signing marks another deal for 21-year old Reese, who led the LSU Tigers team to this year’s NCAA National Championship and was voted the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

Dive Insight:

By signing Reese, Mielle has tapped into an athletic star who is creating millions of fans with her accomplishments on the court and style presence off it, including her appearance in the pages of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, which recently hit newsstands.

According to On3, Reese has over 4.1 million followers spread across TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter and leads all college women’s basketball players with an NIL valuation of $1.4 million. She is ranked 10th among all NCAA athletes, male or female, per On3.

"Angel is a rising star with bold beauty, confidence, strength and must-have edges who uses and genuinely loves Mielle products,” Mielle's founder and CEO Monique Rodriguez said in a statement. “Angel's fun personality and ability to connect authentically with her fans make her a perfect addition to the Mielle family. She is that girl, and we are so thrilled to have her as our newest ambassador."

Founded by Rodriguez in 2014, Mielle currently has 10 collections including products for skin and children. Its agreement with Reese is part of the company’s strategy to marry its organic beauty hair care products with athletes.

It’s been two years since the NCAA approved the NIL policy and athletes like Reese are reaping the rewards.

"Athletes are the ideal beauty icons and brand ambassadors," Reese said in a statement. "I put it out there that I wanted to work with more beauty brands, and I'm so excited to be working with Mielle! I'm a longtime user and fan of the brand so this is the perfect partnership. I can't wait to share more with my fans and introduce my new Mielle bundle. The last several months have been a whirlwind. I feel really blessed."

The past few months have also been a whirlwind for the brand. With its sights set on major expansion, Mielle was acquired by Proctor & Gamble in January. The products can be found in retailers like Sally Beauty, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Kroger and Walmart.