On the 27th of July 2011, the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint, by Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson, about magazine advertisements for “The Eraser” foundation. This neatly packaged applicator-foundation, designed to lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, is made by Maybelline, part of the L’Oreal group.
The magazine ad in question features model Christy Turlington. It shows a block effect on sections of her face, to illustrate the effect of wearing the foundation. Anyone who is used to seeing beauty advertisements in modern magazines would conclude that the image had been digitally manipulated.
Fair Representation of Makeup Results in Advertising
According to the ASA, Ms Swinson’s complaint declared that the digital manipulation the image underwent meant that it was “not representative of the results the product could achieve.”
Anyone without a professional lighting kit and advanced editing package in their back pocket might be interested in this debate about what a foundation can actually achieve, and what manufacturers allude to. Recent years have seen a prevalence of miracle-wand type products that offer speedy cure-all solutions to smooth skin.
With the traditional professional route of layered foundation and concealer application, followed by loose powder, too complicated for many busy lives, quick-fix solutions to magazine perfection must appeal. However, with this week’s ruling, the ASA is sending a clear signal that despite new technology and demands, beauty advertising should stick to a credible level of realism when attempting to sell a specific product.
Change in Approach to Makeup
Beauty and fashion advertisers have a fine line to walk when creating images to sell products. These industries are often about inspiring, creating fantasy and theatre, so realism may be considered optional. However, the Maybelline ads in question were not a magazine fashion story but were advertising the technical functionality of one product.
In their response, L’Oreal urged the ASA to consider the images within the context of advertising foundation, and also sited the high level of public understanding of image production techniques and supermodel endorsement. Yet judgment was passed on the technicality of the images, in particular details that the ASA believed may create unrealistic expectations.
This week’s ruling highlights changes in the sale of makeup, especially foundation, which have taken place over the last decade. New ingredient technology allows makeup to multitask, delivering instant skincare benefits. Textures have become much more refined and instantly effective. The possibilities of digital editing have yielded an ever more idealized magazine version of women and makeup.
Achieving perfection is not the only thing that makeup is about, with fantasy, character development and technical functionality on stage and screen being the old staples of makeup artistry. Marketing in cosmetics retail may seem to have forgotten this. With “The Eraser” being sold at a little under £10.00 in the UK, this week’s adjudication will help to make the rules about promises in makeup advertising clearer.
Advertising Standards Authority: ASA Adjudication on L'Oreal (UK) Ltd.
Maybelline New York: The Eraser Foundation.
Shefali Choudhury - Writer and visual artist, Suite Beauty topic editor, Shefali spent 10 years in professional makeup artistry from beauty to blood ...
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