Does looking at a Maybelline ad lead you to find imperfections in your appearance that you didn’t notice before? You’re not alone.
Many of us have moments of self-doubt when we look at cosmetic advertisements. And yes, we’ve all read articles and had conversations about how those advertisements have been photoshopped, how we shouldn’t let these ads phase us, how we should just be comfortable in our own skin, etc. While this is all true, taking a more psychological approach to explaining how cosmetic advertisements work can change our outlook. Once we understand the strategy behind these ads, we, as viewers, can take certain steps to prevent them from negatively affecting our self-image.
The cosmetic industry intentionally works to make us feel insecure so that we will buy their products to “improve” ourselves. And, unfortunately, it tends to work.
They will tell you your hair is flat, your acne is unsightly, your waist isn’t small enough, or your lips aren’t full enough. Why do they do this? Because their success is based on the fact that we, the consumers, feel that we need to enhance ourselves aesthetically. Think about it—no one would buy these products if they were 100% happy with the way they looked and felt. And what better way to evoke this feeling of insecurity in people than to knock their confidence down as low as it can go with advertisements?
Take, for example, these two images from a shampoo commercial:
The first is of a woman with “undesirable” hair. She displays an unhappy expression which, we are supposed to assume, is due to the flatness of her hair. The next shows the same woman after having used the advertised product, but this time her hair is much fuller, which has clearly given her a newfound level of confidence.
What’s upsetting is the way these products are supposed to entice us into “becoming” beautiful, as if we weren’t before. There is nothing wrong with the girl’s hair in the first image. But the commercial implies that there is, and that’s the problem. The facial expressions alone suggest that improving our aesthetic “flaws” should make us happier individuals.
It’s easier to destroy than to create, and this type of publicity works based solely on that principle. They aim to destroy our confidence in a particular area so that we can rebuild it by using the products they are selling.
The goal should not be to avoid purchasing these products. That’s not my argument here. Of course we can treat ourselves to cosmetic items if doing so allows us to feel more confident.
I’m saying that a modification needs to be made. And because this type of media won’t be changing any time soon, I propose that we change our mentality. Our motives for purchasing these products need to shift.
We can’t allow a commercial or an advertisement in a pop culture magazine to make us feel less-than. Moreover, we can’t allow that feeling of insecurity to draw us toward cosmetic products that we feel will improve us.
What we can do is realize that if we are confident and happy with the way we look and feel, these advertisements won’t be able to knock us down. If we buy these products, it should be for the sole purpose of enhancing the beauty that already exists within us, not to change or “fix imperfections” in our appearance. By accepting all of ourselves, including what this industry defines as “flaws,” nothing can destroy us—not even petty beauty ads.
Courtesy: screwyouacne.com dailymail.co.uk 24hoursofads.com womenshealthmag.co.uk iheartinspiration.com