This past year has been quite a year for “Wonder Woman,” also known as Israeli model and actress Gal Gadot.
The badass female action hero blockbuster garnered more than $800 million at the box office worldwide, making it the 5th highest grossing US superhero movie of all time. Gadot herself has become a household name with serious star power, mentioned in the same breath as Hollywood’s top actors.
Now, the 32-year old married mom of two has bagged two prestigious new roles — as brand ambassador for multinational giants Revlon and Huawei.
Last week, Gadot took to Instagram to announce she was the new Global Ambassador for Revlon’s Live Boldly campaign. She noted that the brand’s ideals clearly line up with her own. “They love women, they celebrate women, and they’re very accessible,” she told fashion industry trade journal Women’s Wear Daily on January 9.
“Revlon is such an iconic and groundbreaking brand, a champion of women, and I am so happy to be part of this family now. There’s a cultural shift happening, which Revlon celebrates, where feminine power is recognized, and I’m so proud that I get to witness and live this amazing change,” she said in a statement.
President and CEO of Revlon Fabian Garcia said, “Gal captures the beauty, strength, modernity and boldness that Revlon represents,” adding that the Israeli actress “and all the new Revlon brand ambassadors are emblematic of the beauty, determination and attitude that reflect what it is for women to live boldly in today’s world.”
On the same day, Chinese telecommunications company Huawei, the world’s third-largest phone maker behind Apple and Samsung, announced that it had signed Gadot as a celebrity spokesperson for the company, crowning her “CEO” — Chief Experience Officer.
Huawei announced Gadot’s new role during a panel at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last week hosted by the company’s actual CEO, Chief Executive Officer, Richard Yu.
“In this new role, Ms. Gadot will help shape the company’s brand experiences and play an active role in listening to and providing ongoing ideas to inform how Huawei will bring the best experiences to its consumers,” the company said in a statement, as reported by Tech Crunch.
Gadot’s history with Huawei
Gadot has been associated with Huawei in the past and has reportedly been using Huawei phones, including its newest Mate 10 Pro. She had also been promoting the brand in Israel and in 2015 and 2016, appeared in tv commercials for Huawei in her native country. In 2017, she advertised Huawei’s P9 phone as a spokesperson alongside actress Scarlett Johansson.
The Mate 10 Pro Android phone, which Huawei calls its flagship device, and “the best phone you’ve never heard of,” comes with its own AI-powered chips that the company says can process data faster than products from Apple and Samsung. The phone was launched in Europe in October 2017, with a cost of $955.
Gadot is set to star in a Huawei Mate 10 Pro ad in February, to coincide with the expected launch in the US.
But those plans may have hit a snag. Huawei’s new deal with Gadot came just as talks of the phone’s US distribution “collapsed at the 11th hour because of security concerns,” Reuters reported, citing “people with knowledge of the matter.” Huawei had planned a deal with US carrier AT&T to be included in its lineup to sell the Mate 10 in the United States, but the deal fell through at the last minute.
It was a unique turn of events, placing another obstacle in front of Huawei’s pursuit to break into the US market. The company had already tried a number of times, weathering allegations of espionage and partnership with the Chinese government. Carrier distribution in the US is significant for international smartphone makers that want to break into the US market, since a majority of devices are purchased through carriers.
Gal Gadot at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, event for her movie “Justice League.” Photo via Gage Skidmore, Creative Commons
Reuters reports that AT&T was “pressured to drop the deal after members of the US Senate and House intelligence committees sent a letter on Dec. 20 to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) citing concerns about Huawei’s plans to launch consumer products through a major US telecom carrier.” The letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, signed by 18 lawmakers, noted concerns about Huawei’s alleged role in Chinese espionage.
While Huawei is the third-largest phone maker in the world, due to its popularity in China and Europe, security concerns have always dodged the smartphone company in the United States. Huawei has consistently denied the allegations.
Gadot did not address the setback in the statement announcing she was named as Huawei’s new global ambassador, and instead praised the company for its vision.
“Huawei is constantly pushing the boundaries and bringing cutting-edge technology to its customers, and I’m honored to join the company as it launches the Huawei Mate 10 Pro in the US,” she said. “Partnering with an innovative brand like Huawei is incredibly exciting for me, and I look forward to playing an integral part of the company’s growth in the year ahead.”