How does advertising enhance insecurities?
By presenting idealised images, beauty product and fashion advertisers seek to persuade customers that they will become new and improved if they use their product or wear their clothes. This leads to physical and psychological problems as people strive to improve their self-esteem through consumption. Products and clothing through advertisements are making unrealistic promises to consumers, that you will look younger, slimmer or healthier. The 'ideal' body image is promoted to be skinny models and photoshopped images hiding reality. Society has also come to believe that if you are beautiful and attractive you will succeed and achieve in life. Many advertisers play on these insecurities as this vulnerability can be exploited to sell a 'solution'. Consumers have begun to lose the distinction between real beauty and the idealised images the consumer society has created.
Savvy consumers have learned to look beyond the luxuriant hair, perfect skin, and toned physiques being advertised and see the hair extensions, airbrushing, and photo manipulation behind it all. Yet, we still put pressure on the beauty industry to deliver positive results.
If I was to produce an advertisement campaign based around beauty and how advertisements enhance insecurities it would be about revealing the reality. Highlighting that these images aren't real and that it isn't necessary, promoting self-esteem and driving awareness of the negative effects.
Advertising examples:
Protein World - Are you beach body ready?
This advertisement uses an idealised image of the perfect body to promote their weigh loss collection, suggesting this is how you should look.
Victoria Secrets - The perfect body
This advertisement suggest that these women have the 'perfect' body which is an unrealistic view. It received lot's of backlash and Dove responded to the campaign with a more positive realistic body image.
Body by milk - Goal by Beckham. Body by milk.
This advertisement suggest that you can achieve a body like Beckham's is you drink this milk.
L'Oréal's ad campaign for Lancôme with Julia Roberts.
This advertisement was criticised and removed for promoting unrealistic body image as Julia Roberts face is heavily photoshopped to give the appearance of younger looking skin.
Ads parodying the impact Photoshop has on female body image - Anna Hill:
These adverts help to draw attention to the problem of photoshopping in beauty advertising and drive awareness that this isn't reality.
Conclusion:
Until the public responds more favourably to images of real people, very little is going to change. Pressure can be put on brands to represent people more realistically especially via social media. Educating the world that advertising is not a reflection of what we should be, but rather, a convenient fantasy designed to sell something.
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