FMS404ShootingBeautySoutherdenR: Lecture 1, beauty advertising history

Beauty advertising

Below I have chosen images of beauty makeup adverts from the 1920's to 2000, and also one from 2016. I have selected these images to compare the design and the quality of the advertising. For example, the adverts taken from before the 60's where all about the writing and the instructions on how to use each piece of makeup being advertised, this may have been because makeup was relatively new and more products where being released, the women using these products may also be new to it and not know how to use them. The instructions written on the ads where guide lines to how to get the wanted look of that time, people buying these products would have followed the instructions and kept to the 'correct' way of using them.

Contemporary adverts show only one or more images of a made up model posing and selling a lifestyle, in many there isn't the makeup product being sold. This may be to the amount of people using makeup nowadays, and many women know how to use the products, some products can be used for many things and so instructions are no longer needed. Also one striking image can make a bigger impact on the viewer as the image is much better quality and very professional makeup.

As time goes on, the adverts get more sophisticated and high end, they appear to be selling a certain look or lifestyle instead of an actual product, this is when a beauty advert turns into an editorial. Many the adverts below are focused on the eyes and have created an impact by showing the buyer what can be achieved if they buy the product and follow the instructions. Many of the older ads have used illustrations and have been more creative with the design, whereas the newer adverts only use a single photograph. Also many of the earlier ads used soft and innocent looking faces to show off their products, as time went on woman had more power and the adverts became seductive and sexy. The facial expression on the models became a lot stronger and spoke with the eyes, an arched eye brow became fashionable and this also enhanced the sexy look. Nowadays most adverts are sexy and have some powerful meaning behind them, the women are strong and seductive, which calls to the viewer to buy, it promises the viewer that if they buy this product they could look as good as the image on the ad.