Miss Universe: Is this the end of pageant brands?

If I had a few hundred million dollars in my bank account (which I clearly do not), I’d buy the Miss Universe franchise and totally rebrand it. Here’s why.

Through a twist of fate, I found myself at the controversial Miss Universe 2025 final competition in Bangkok last month, staying at the same hotel as the contestants, their families, managers, media, and delegates. I spoke to many insiders before, during and after the final event, hearing their unfiltered views. What an eye opener.

This year’s Miss Universe exposed far more than I anticipated, laying bare societal issues and tough challenges faced by not only the Miss Universe brand, but the pageant industry in general. Allow me to unpack some of the challenges:

Abuse of power

This reared its ugly head when Thai organiser Nawat Itsaragrisil publicly humiliated Miss Universe Mexico, Fátima Bosch, calling her a “dumbhead”. All streamed live, this triggered a walk-out by her fellow contestants and a major loss of face for the organisers. His tearful apology was widely perceived as insincere, and he subsequently forced the ceremony MC Steve Byrne to add to his script “Nawat, you are amazing.” This pattern of bullying and impunity clearly needs to be addressed.

Diversity and representation

Miss Universe Pakistan, Roma Riaz, challenged beauty stereotypes, but sadly this triggered toxic online body and colour shaming. The turning point was when she walked defiantly onto stage in a gown embroidered with a large crucifix, wearing her religion (literally) with pride. (Nobody was expecting the representative of Pakistan to be from the country’s small Christian minority, many of whom still face discrimination). It felt as if a little bit of history was being made. The pageant industry needs to work harder to support and protect diversity and representation.

Conflict and geopolitics

For the first time, Palestine was present at Miss Universe. Nadeem Ayoub conveyed that she was there to give Palestine a voice, to remind the world that Palestinians' existence are about more than their suffering. Her evening gown featured the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, making a strong statement about Palestinian identity. A fleeting moment when Miss Universe Israel, Melanie Shiraz, appeared to give her a side-eye made global headlines. Should Miss Universe avoid extremely sensitive issues, or can it be a platform for dialogue?

Privilege and access

Contestants at this level tend to come from either privilege or hardship. Miss Universe Philippines, Ahtisa Manalo, shared a compelling story of overcoming poverty, while Fátima Bosch (Mexico) hails from a wealthy Tabasco family, is private school educated, and her father is a senior executive at Pemex. This contrast raises questions about fairness and access in the pageant world.

Governance and ethics

This year’s competition has sparked a crisis threatening the very existence of Miss Universe. At the final event I witnessed these very impressive women vying for the crown. The outcome shocked everyone, myself included, and the crowd of over 10,000 started booing when Bosch was crowned. This event was being streamed live to over 2.6 billion viewers on various social media platforms, so the shock rippled across the world. The subsequent accusations of rigging and corruption have cast a dark shadow over the brand.

Three judges resigned before the finals, allegedly due to pressure to favour Bosch. Revelations about business ties between the Mexican owner Raul Rocha and Bosch’s father, and ongoing federal investigations into Rocha for fuel and arms trafficking, have deepened the scandal. The fallout includes public criticism from contestants and the resignation of Miss Universe Côte D’Ivoire, Olivia Yace (whom I thought should have won, hands down).

The lack of transparency was glaring. As former Miss Universe Canada and 2025 Selection Committee member Natalie Glebova noted, the days of official audits seem long gone:

What ever happened to those days when they said before the results, “Please welcome from the accounting firm of Ernst & Young with the official audit”. Just saying.

So what? Who cares about Miss Universe?

Admittedly, I was indifferent to pageants until I understood the dedication and discipline they require. These competitions are more than vacuous beauty parades; they foster national pride, nurture talent, and build community. Yet, the traditional stereotypes and lack of transparency are increasingly out of step with the times.

Time for rebranding

The concept of the “beauty pageant” feels anachronistic. With declining viewership and changing priorities among Gen Z audiences, it’s time to rethink the beauty pageant brand. The industry should take inspiration from campaigns such as Ogilvy’s much lauded Dove ‘Campaign for Real Beauty’ which challenged conventional standards.

If Miss Universe were a public company, not only would leadership be sacked, but the entire board of directors would also be raked over the coals by shareholders and regulators. Pageants should be held to rigorous standards, ensuring fairness and respect for the dedication and sacrifices of these young people.

As part of a rebrand, I’d ditch the word ‘pageant,’ change ‘Miss’ to ‘Ms’, broaden selection criteria, and emphasise even more academic, career, and community achievements. The swimsuit competition would go (Ok don’t bite my head off), replaced by a focus on creativity and entrepreneurialism. Not only because these things matter to the world, but because they matter increasingly to younger generations of consumers, to advertisers and sponsors. Without audiences, broadcast rights and advertising revenue, there’s no future.

A platform for discourse

Would I encourage debate and discourse about sensitive topics such as identity, discrimination, conflict and injustice? You bet I would. But I would not leave these young women (and men) to fend for themselves and fall prey to sensationalist media or ‘click-hungry’ influencers. I’d create a supportive environment, a safe space for education and constructive dialogue.

A call for reflection

If the pageant industry wants to survive and remain relevant, it needs to take a long hard look in the mirror and do some soul searching. There is depth there. There are amazing stories of triumph over adversity waiting to be told. There is remarkable talent waiting to be discovered and honed. We just need a platform that rethinks what true beauty can mean in the 21st century, a platform that will uphold universal ideals and be a force for good in a world that, at times, feels more divided than united.

This article was written Zayn Khan, global chief strategy officer at Dragon Rouge.