Naomi Osaka has called on young Black athletes like herself to spread more awareness of suncare for melanated skin.
As previously reported by AfroTech back in 2021, the tennis champ launched her skincare line, KINLÒ, to provide affordable products for healthy skin. Now, Osaka has onboarded student-athletes who are making an impact to join her in amplifying her message.
New Campaign Promoting Skin Protection
For its inaugural #GlowOutside campaign, KINLÒ has announced NIL brand partnerships with five college athletes “to educate communities of color around the importance of year-round SPF use for melanin-rich skin,” according to a press release shared with AfroTech.
The NCAA athletes alongside Osaka will be Deja Kelly (University of North Carolina Basketball), Reilyn Turner (UCLA Women’s Soccer), Robert Dillingham (University of Kentucky Basketball), Xolani Hodel (Stanford University Beach Volleyball), and Ziyah Holman (University of Michigan Track & Field) — whose backgrounds each align with the suncare brand’s core mission.
Naomi Osaka Shares Her Excitement About #GlowOutside
“I’m so excited to partner with these amazing student athletes to help spread awareness for our Glow Outside campaign,” Osaka said in a statement, according to the press release. “As young, influential voices in the space, they are the perfect fit to help champion such an important initiative and as a brand, we couldn’t be prouder to empower and support NCAA athletes.”
Another Win For Black Student-Athletes
Under the NIL deals, the student-athletes are set to be campaign ambassadors, in which they will use their platforms to educate people with melanated skin about the importance of sun protection.
The new partnership comes on the heels of Kelly’s deal with Actively Black — a Black-owned premium athleisure and sports apparel company. As previously reported by AfroTech, the 20-year-old shared with us that she only partners with brands that are authentic to who she is.
“My team makes sure I’m involved in everything from the initial meeting to after we’ve signed these deals,” Kelly told AfroTech in an interview. “I won’t partner with brands that I don’t already use or have an affinity for, so every deal that I have is authentic to who I am.”
