On November 1st, 2025, Mariah Carey launched a Sephora ad campaign promoting the glamour of the brand’s products for this year’s holiday season. The ad, titled “It’s Time!”, brings attention to the consumerist-driven society we live in in America, while dismissing the working-class hardship of the struggle to make ends meet. Ads are a powerful tool for constructing societal ideals, often using subliminal symbolism covered up with makeup to make issues seem sparkly and attractive. This ad, although meant to motivate viewers to idolize Mariah and fancy Sephora products, instead ridicules the statement of a collaborative strike, the violation of labor rights, and the issue of mental health needs.
The ad begins with a single elf caught by Mariah as he gathers the last bit of products he intends to sell for money for therapy – set in the setting of Mariah’s vanity room. The elf leaves the workshop and says that Christmas is canceled and all elves are going on strike. Mariah looks distraught, and her plan to save Christmas is to go to town and gift everyone Sephora products. The ad is supposed to be witty and charming, discussing the issues of workers’ rights and healthy work environments as none other than a joke, but this is not funny for many Americans. It is a reality.
The holiday season experience varies across different family circumstances, and this year’s long government shutdown, in addition to other government benefits being cut, like SNAP and healthcare, makes the expenses of the holiday season rather stressful instead of fabulous. While many families are experiencing hunger and might not be able to celebrate Thanksgiving like normal, it’s hard to relate and laugh about the satire of the Sephora commercial.
Mariah, in full glam, plays the role of Christmas savior, singing her hit song “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which is a hypocritical misuse. She sings of wanting love under the Christmas tree while she drops Sephora bags around town to save Christmas and overcome the strike of the elves. Just as the elves are to Christmas, the working class is the foundation of a functional, flowing society, and their labor cannot be so easily dismissed as an inconvenience to the Christmas production.
I am not saying that spreading Christmas cheer is wrong, but using real societal struggles in a time of tension is ignorant and naive of the company to try to twist. It pushes an idea to spend more than a person can afford in order to be involved in the Christmas spirit. Ads like these help us think critically about the values our society is conforming us toward, but reflecting on what truly matters in times of survival helps us see a 1-minute commercial for the fake “pretty” production it is.
There is far too much pressure around giving the “perfect” gift, so this year, maybe consider donating to a local food bank, supporting a charity, or volunteering your time to non-profit organizations trying to support families in need.