Cosmetic advertising
Encyclopedia
Cosmetic advertising is the promotion
of cosmetics
and beauty
products by the cosmetics industry through a variety of media
. The advertising campaign
s are usually aimed at women wishing to improve their appearance, commonly to increase physical attractiveness and reduce the signs of ageing
.
and their promotion of unrealistic goals. Moreover, many campaigns are accused of inducing harmful habits on people (such as bulimia and anorexia), and leading to destructive plastic surgery practices.
In addition, cosmetic advertising is often accused of excessively using photo manipulation
to enhance the appearance of models, instead of using the cosmetics themselves, creating an unrealistic image of the product's benefits, Estée Lauder for example.
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
of cosmetics
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...
and beauty
Beauty
Beauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction. Beauty is studied as part of aesthetics, sociology, social psychology, and culture...
products by the cosmetics industry through a variety of media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
. The advertising campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
s are usually aimed at women wishing to improve their appearance, commonly to increase physical attractiveness and reduce the signs of ageing
Ageing
Ageing or aging is the accumulation of changes in a person over time. Ageing in humans refers to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social change. Some dimensions of ageing grow and expand over time, while others decline...
.
Criticism
Many campaigns have come under fire through their alleged use of pseudosciencePseudoscience
Pseudoscience is a claim, belief, or practice which is presented as scientific, but which does not adhere to a valid scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, cannot be reliably tested, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
and their promotion of unrealistic goals. Moreover, many campaigns are accused of inducing harmful habits on people (such as bulimia and anorexia), and leading to destructive plastic surgery practices.
In addition, cosmetic advertising is often accused of excessively using photo manipulation
Photo manipulation
Photo manipulation is the application of image editing techniques to photographs in order to create an illusion or deception , through analog or digital means.- Types of digital photo manipulation :...
to enhance the appearance of models, instead of using the cosmetics themselves, creating an unrealistic image of the product's benefits, Estée Lauder for example.
External links
- "Guidelines for Cosmetic Advertising and Labelling Claims" at the Advertising Standards Canada
- Gibson, Owen. 17 August 2005. "L'Oréal pulls TV ads after ruling" at Guardian Unlimited
- Begoun, Paula. "How Cosmetic Advertising Misleads" at The Cosmetics Cop
- "The Cosmetic Wolf" at dr-baumann.com
- "Cosmetics manufacturers" at Patriot Brands