The influencer that fronted Urban Decay’s latest campaign built her following on an unexpected platform: OnlyFans.
Ari Kytsya got her start on the site, which is known for offering NSFW adult content to paying subscribers, before eventually expanding her audience on more mainstream platforms like Instagram and TikTok. According to Anika Majithia, global head of Urban Decay, her unorthodox background made her the perfect fit for its “Battle the Bland” campaign, which centred on pushing back on the beauty industry’s so-called “blandemic” (as seen with the proliferation of the “clean girl” aesthetic) with creativity and self-expression.
Partnering with an OnlyFans creator is, in some ways, courting controversy — even Kytsya is aware. “While she’s beloved online, she’s also been vocal about the hesitation some brands have had in working with her,” Majithia said in an email.
When the campaign dropped, however, excited commenters far outnumbered displeased ones. More than that, the video reached a million organic views in under 24 hours, the fastest an Urban Decay video has achieved that sort of visibility; it’s now the brand’s top-performing Instagram post in 2025 so far. According to data from Hootsuite, positive sentiment around the brand increased by 142 percent in the week after the campaign was released, and conversations using the term “Urban Decay” on TikTok spiked by 160 percent.
The risk, according to Majithia, was well worth it.
“[Kytsya] represents a shift in what influence looks like today,” she said.
In the wake of the #MeToo movement in the late 2010s, brands were warier of angering young shoppers who were tired of marketing centred on narrow beauty standards. But cut to today, and many brands are bringing sexy back to their advertising. For some, that means a re-embrace of old-school sexiness — think the comeback of the Victoria’s Secret fashion show or even fast food chain Carl’s Jr. hiring a bikini-clad Alix Earle to star in its Super Bowl spot earlier this year.
But an increasing number of companies are leaning into a different definition, one that’s focused on women redefining sensuality on their own terms, like Urban Decay’s collaborative storytelling with Kytsya or MAC Cosmetics featuring Martha Stewart in nothing but a silk robe for its “I only wear MAC” nude lipstick campaign.
“The early 2000s showed a very blanket version of ‘sexy’ … In the new modern era, women are defining their own versions of what makes them feel best,” said Majithia. “These emotions are complex — we’re not just ‘slutty’ or prude, working woman or tradwife.”
Considering the reality of consumers’ evolving expectations around sex-fuelled marketing is essential for brands looking to take a more risqué approach that elevates their storytelling rather than just serving as an attention grab. Critics of American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney-fronted, controversy-addled campaign, for instance, condemned the brand for leaning too much on the male gaze, which consumers felt seemed off for a brand known for its inclusive marketing.
“It needs to be a good brand fit,” said brand executive and author Ana Andjelic. But at the end of the day, she added, “Sex sells. Now there has been a vibe shift towards that, and why not go towards those who sell sex if that is the right fit for your brand?”
Leaning into the Female Gaze
While sexy marketing has historically been rooted in a more male-centric interpretation of the term, for it to land today, brands should tailor their approach to the audience they’re trying to reach.
In partnering with OnlyFans creators, for example, “if only men are watching their content, it doesn’t make sense for our brand,” said Leila Shams, founder and chief executive of fashion brand TA3. The label teamed up with OnlyFans creator Levi Coralynn in June, who has also partnered with hair care lines K18 and Vegamour, drawn not only to the sultry, slo-mo “get ready with me” videos she’s used to build her platform off of OnlyFans, but also the clips that show her fiancé cooking and cleaning for her.
TA3 felt her female-forward approach was aligned with their mission to make women feel sexy for themselves, rather than for men. While sexiness is central to the brand’s DNA, so is pleasure, indulgence and not restricting oneself, said Shams, which is a big part of Coralynn’s content.
“Who wants to go back to the Victoria’s Secret sexiness? That was very male gaze,” added Shams. “That’s one of the things that people really love about Levi, she’s ordering her partner around, she’s in charge … That’s the new sexiness. We’re just kind of taking men out of it.”
Working with Coralynn feels like a step towards “empowered sexiness,” said Shams. The campaign video, titled “The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Hotness,” was shared on Instagram, with a “spicy” version posted on Youtube — which Coralynn will also be editing and sharing on TikTok. In the spot, Coralynn struts through her apartment strewn with panties and high heels, has her partner paint her toenails (and perform a more explicit act in the YouTube version) and cinches herself into one of the brand’s swimsuits, all while cracking cheeky jokes.
To accompany the campaign — which received nearly 100 percent positive feedback on Instagram, according to the brand — TA3 sent out packages to 30 celebrities and 18 creators including swimwear, vibrators and more, pairing its core brand ethos with something unexpected and attention-grabbing.
In the age of consumers seeking out creator content that feels authentic, OnlyFans stars stand out for their raw and real approach — not to mention they get people talking. It was Coralynn’s “bold, unapologetic” attitude that similarly attracted K18 to partner with her, said Suveen Sahib, the brand’s co-founder and chief executive, in an email. The relationship began organically when the hair care brand gifted products to Coralynn, and evolved into a broader partnership for its Astrolift volumising hairspray campaign — a perfect fit for Coralynn’s sky-high, pin-up girl curls — given her genuine love for the brand.
Stars with on-camera or acting experience can also lean into content co-creation with a brand quite naturally.
“When we were filming with [Coralynn], she’s like a movie star,” said Shams. “Everyone wants to work with someone who’s super professional, who gets your brand. Who cares what their past is? We all have a past.”
The Gen-Z Sex Paradigm
Using sex to sell to Gen-Z requires a delicate touch. While the generation has been characterised as having less sex than those that came before them — Gen-Z reported having sex three times in a month, compared to five times for millennials and Gen-X, according to a 2024 study from dating app Feeld and research centre Kinsey Institute — young shoppers are also exposed to explicit content online at an unprecedented rate.
“There’s been such a normalisation of what is considered risqué and what is considered edgy in the past decade,” said Andjelic. “There is this big contradiction when you say, hey, Gen-Z is not having sex, but then also sexual content [has] never been more accessible.”
So while Gen-Z may be less shocked by sexual imagery in advertising, they may be more responsive when brands take a lighter touch, incorporating sensuality into campaigns as a means of self-expression or even as a way to explore one’s own sexuality. Sexy or “smutty” romance novels, for example, have recently taken off — especially among Gen-Z and Millennials.
Brands are taking note. Neutrogena partnered with influencer and self-proclaimed “queen of confidence” Serena Kerrigan on a two-part series of free “steamy” digital books, called “Bank Your Glow,” released this week, to promote its new Collagen Bank vitamin C serum. The books lean into Kerrigan’s personal brand — which centres on self-love, empowerment and dating confidence — while enabling Neutrogena to tastefully take advantage of this growing interest area among younger consumers.
The content needs to be purposeful, add to a discussion or promote a core value consumers seek out in a brand to land. Leaning into confidence and empowerment may be more impactful in intriguing Gen-Z than the semi-nude imagery they’re likely to stumble upon online.
And when relevant brands take the plunge, consumers are “going to appreciate that alignment with the brand. They’re going to appreciate that edginess, they’re going to appreciate the point of view and they’re going to appreciate the boldness at the end of the day,” said Andjelic.