Advertising has been around for centuries and has played an integral part in promoting the beauty standards of society. Unfortunately, not all advertisements promote a healthy narrative. One such example is Fair & Lovely, a well-known skin-lightening cream popular in India, which has been accused of perpetuating harmful beauty standards.
Fair & Lovely, manufactured by Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), is marketed as a cream that lightens dark skin, thereby making one more attractive and confident. Such advertisements propagate negative stereotypes that individuals with dark skin are inferior and less desirable. The brand’s messaging is also problematic as it implies that people with light skin are more successful, get better jobs and partners, and overall have better lives.
The harmful effects of Fair & Lovely’s advertisement campaigns are far-reaching. It not only perpetuates the harm ingrained in social beauty standards but also results in consumers buying into a product that promotes colorism. It exacerbates existing insecurities and self-esteem issues of individuals who don’t conform to societal beauty standards.
The issue with Fair & Lovely’s marketing strategy became widely acknowledged when a campaign called #UnfairandLovely was launched in 2016. The movement aimed to raise awareness surrounding the negative effects of Fair & Lovely’s advertisements and encouraged people to embrace all skin tones. The criticisms and backlash grew, and in 2020, Hindustan Unilever announced its decision to drop the word ‘Fair’ from its brand name and no longer use the terms ‘fair, white, and lightening’ on its products.
However, while Hindustan Unilever may have removed the word ‘Fair’ from its brand name, it remains the same product, and the overall messaging around the cosmetic industry still remains problematic. Advertisements still continue to perpetuate harmful beauty standards by encouraging people to alter their appearance to conform to societal norms.
The cosmetic industry needs to take accountability for promoting unsafe beauty standards and the impact their products can have on people’s self-esteem. They need to use their advertising reach to foster healthy narratives around self-love and self-acceptance, promoting diverse representations of beauty. More so, regulatory boards need to enforce standards that take into account the harmful impacts of advertising so that companies are held accountable for perpetuating harmful social norms.
In conclusion, the effects of advertising by companies like Fair & Lovely go beyond just promoting a product. They exacerbate societal beauty standards, promoting colorism and harmful stereotypes. It is essential that companies take accountability for promoting positive social norms and not only aim to ensure they comply with regulatory standards but also build a level of social responsibility among their advertising and marketing practices. Consumers also have a responsibility to hold companies accountable for promoting harmful beauty standards. A vast array of beauty is necessary, and advertisements need to be in tune with social change.
(Note: Do you have knowledge or insights to share? Unlock new opportunities and expand your reach by joining our authors team. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.)