# CeraVe: Michael CeraVe

> A staged skincare rumor drew 32B earned impressions, according to its campaign entrants.

- Owner: CeraVe / L’Oréal
- Kind: Campaign
- Sector: Beauty & personal care
- Seed date: 2024-01-22
- Peak date: Week of Feb 11, 2024
- Date basis: Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 53 (Notable), v1.2
- Mechanics: Mystery & lore, Creator relay, Platform jump, Press loop, Newsjacking

## Summary

CeraVe staged a founder rumor through paid creators, paparazzi photos and brand denials. Press discussed it before the Super Bowl reveal. WPP claimed 9 billion earned impressions before game day; entrants later claimed 32 billion. Sales claims lacked disclosed baselines.

## Timeline

- 2024-01-22 — @haleyybaylee (TikTok) — Haley Kalil posted a sponsored pharmacy video of Michael Cera signing CeraVe bottles.
- 2024-01-23 — Cosmetics Business (Press) — Cosmetics Business covered the pharmacy clip and identified Kalil as a CeraVe brand partner.
- 2024-01-25 — Bobbi Althoff (YouTube) — Bobbi Althoff released a sponsored interview in which Cera walked out over questions about CeraVe.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/michael-cerave

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “CeraVe: Michael CeraVe.” Case HIS-00295. Spread Score v1.2: 53/100. Updated 2026-10-13. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-00295