Back in the day, regional-famous beauty brands like Pond’s and Fair & Lovely ruled beauty advertisements, and the goal was to have skin that’s as white as snow.
We’re sure that you know the type of models that are usually included in these types of ads: it’s always a fair and slender young woman who’ll convince viewers (at the time) that fairer really does mean prettier.
Unfortunately, this has led to the dangerous practice of skin bleaching – but we’re not going to get into that.
We did, however, mention an ad gone wrong in a previous article, in which Dove used a tactless advertisement to promote their new product:
Image: The Drum
Fortunately, brands have learned from the mistakes of others and are now taking diversity very seriously. On top of that, brands are also aware of the fact that one slip-up can cause them to get #cancelled on social media.
You can avoid all that by following in the footsteps of these brands that have gone the extra mile to ensure that they include all kinds of skin tones, gender, body shapes, race, ethnicities and more through these powerful ads:
The word “diversity” is somewhat tied to Fenty Beauty these days. When Rihanna first launched the beauty brand in 2017 by releasing 40 shades of foundation, the beauty world was rocked to its core.
People kept saying that it was “unheard of”, “never been done before” or “groundbreaking”, but did you know that Fenty Beauty was not the first brand to ever release such a wide range of colour? It’s true; Make Up For Ever was the first to launch 40 shades way before Rihanna did.
The difference was (star power aside), Fenty Beauty created such stunning ads that both showcased diversity and conveyed the message of inclusion – making it really hard to miss.
Image: Fenty Beauty
‘Till today, the success of Fenty Beauty has been dubbed ‘The Fenty Effect’, which is a term used to refer to brands now reformulating and launching products that aim to cater to the masses – and this means more skin tones/undertones and skin types.
Image: Daily Mail
Next up, we have L’Oreal, a brand that has been top-of-the-line for as long as we can remember.
They too have been promoting diversity in their impressively long range of foundations, concealers and more, but one thing that truly stood out for the brand was its #YoursTruly campaign, in which they featured beauty blogger Gary Thompson – who essentially became the first-ever man to be featured in a cosmetics campaign.
Since then, things have never been the same when it came to beauty ads. We’re now used to seeing a mishmash of both men, women and non-binary people in ads and that’s all thanks to L’Oreal.
Speaking of firsts, did you know that MAC was the first brand to ever produce makeup for darker skin tones?
That’s right, their Studio Fix foundation line, which was launched in 1984, became the must-have in every household – especially since the brand also formulated eyeshadows and other makeup essentials that catered to every hue and tone.
Safe to say, MAC cosmetics realised long before everyone else that there was a large unmet need in the market for makeup for people of colour – and by doing so, they quickly usurped bigger French luxury brands that only had about 7 shades (maximum!) at the time.
Lancôme was very quick to get on board with its competitors by launching the “My Shade, My Power” campaign featuring 46 women wearing 46 different shades of its then-new Teint Idole Ultra Wear foundation.
The campaign featured 46 incredible African women ranging from stylists and editors to beauty influencers and businesswomen, each representing the beauty of diversity and a common love for the new foundation line.
It also released a similar version, featuring women from the UK and Ireland who are influencers in their own right, but this one particular stood out to us – for obvious reasons!
Image: Cosmetics Business
Another historical moment for the beauty world happened when Revlon hired its very first plus-size model, Ashley Graham.
This feat shook the world to its core too, especially since people all around the world gushed at how they are finally able to see some representation of what real bodies look like on billboards and posters.
Similar to ‘The Fenty Effect’, this move also created a ripple in the beauty industry – in both cosmetics and fashion – as brands began producing plus-size-friendly clothing.
Since then, fashion brands noticed a boost in sales if they feature plus-size models thanks to social media support, a positive onslaught of publicity as well as compliments by regular folk who feel seen and represented.
Who better to represent uniqueness than superstar Lady Gaga? After launching her own beauty brand Haus Laboratories in late 2019, it marked yet another realm for the star to ignite self-expression and support inclusivity, not only in her fan base but throughout the world.
Speaking about her first ad campaign, Gaga said, "We really want people to feel free and to love themselves, no matter how you identify.
"What was so important to me through this whole process is that when people saw what we were 'selling' that they didn't feel like we were just selling makeup. This is a party where everyone is invited. Everyone is invited to break all the rules!"
Image: Bombshell by Bleu
The ad, which featured gender-fluid twins Jake and Joseph Dupont, singer-actress Kitty Louvit, male model Fish and South Sudanese model Nyajuok P. Koang, was wildly successful and set the tone for Gaga’s cosmetics brand since.
Image: left and right courtesy of Base
Here’s a brand that’s a little closer to home. Indonesian cosmetics brand Base has captured the eyes of beauty enthusiasts around the region due to its inclusive ads that featured women of all shades and colour, automatically conveying the message that its skincare products will suit just about any skin type.
Despite the simplicity in concept, the ads and visuals were shot in a way that exudes warmth, vibrancy and most importantly, inclusivity.
If you’re thinking of starting a beauty brand in Malaysia or are currently looking to revamp your ad campaigns, these ads by Malaysian beauty brands might be worth imitating:
Image: Nita Beauty
Image: The Mineraw
Image: Lipstiq.com
Image: Sephora Malaysia
Have these beauty ads left you feeling a little more inspired to take on your next beauty campaign? Good on you! But just remember that a successful beauty ad isn’t just about throwing in a random group of people in the hopes that it would convey inclusivity.
Graphic design is crucial to beauty ads – or any ads for that matter. Hence, it’s important that you know that the right elements such as typography, colour and even white space (or minimalism) can help send a clearer message to your target audience.
It’s for this reason alone that seeking professional opinions or services from a team of experienced creatives at Brandripe can truly make a difference.
With our help and expertise, your brand’s beliefs and ideologies can come to life. We’re not just about editing the skin to make it flawless or lumping people together without any good reasoning at all. We want your brand to thrive, make a difference and stand out from your competitors.
Just as how we have helped previous companies send the right message to their audiences, we will do the same for you too.
Talk to us about your brand today and together, we can break boundaries in the beauty scene.
Schedule a 15-minute VIP Demo Call with us at your preferred date and time, and let’s talk about the key benefits of partnering with us such as our 24 to 48 hour turnaround time, unlimited requests and revisions, and no hidden contracts/costs/HR – just to name a few.
PS: We’re also available via email at hi@brandripe.com, or through the chat toggle on our main page.
