By now, you’re probably familiar with The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, one of the leading campaigns in marketing to women. This campaign was initiated as a way of widening the definition of beauty. It encourages women to embrace their natural selves.
With this powerful message in mind, it makes us wonder how other companies are responding to this movement of redefining beauty. Cosmetic brands and makeup companies are in business because they provide an avenue for women to cover up the dark circles under their eyes, to prevent future wrinkles, and to enhance and highlight certain features while hiding other ones. So how can they effectively market to the same group of women, when their products seem to do to the exact opposite of embracing natural beauty? It sounds conflicting, doesn’t it?
Dermablend, a cosmetic brand, makes it possible. You may recall Dermablend from its well-known ad “Go Beyond the Cover,” which went viral in 2011 starring Rick Genest, or better known as Zombie Boy. The video displayed Dermablend’s makeup products and its ability to cover up just about anything, even a full-body tattoo.
Dermablend has recently released a new campaign. Same product, different approach. It promotes the same message of inner beauty that moved so many women – but twists it in a way that suggests cosmetics to be a tool to empower women. Using emotional testimonials, Dermablend introduces a new perspective on makeup: “Blend in to stand out.” It suggests that makeup covers imperfections so that women can reveal who they are inside. This claim challenges the message we so often hear from beauty campaigns such as Dove – that true beauty exists when we reveal our natural selves. Cassandra Bankson, a Youtube star who battles with severe acne, states in her Dermablend testimonial, “I used to use makeup to cover up and hide who I was. Now I use it to express myself and show the world who I truly am.”
Dermablend makes a strong emotional connection to women and gets at the heart of their desire to be accepted, understood, and loved – despite their imperfections. The ad provokes all kinds of emotions as we watch the two women tear up and share about their struggle with being judged and bullied for their skin conditions. As Adweek puts it, the sincerity of this ad challenges society’s association of makeup and vanity. It redefines makeup to be a tool for women to experience the freedom of shame in order to find confidence in who they really are.
Do you agree with Dermablend’s outlook? Take a look at their moving Camo Confession campaign and listen to women reveal their story about how makeup has allowed them to ‘blend in to stand out.’ Here’s to marketing to women – with a twist.
