Introduction
Urban Decay is a brand that inspires users to defy traditional beauty standards. This brand began a campaign through an eclectic video spot initiate its new campaign referred to as “Pretty Different.” This beauty company targets boys, girls, women, and men in challenging their status quo as well as embracing their uniqueness. The sentimentality is both socially splendid and profitable for the brand since many people identifying themselves as men, and women wear makeup. In a hi-tech dystopia, the one-minute video advert is featuring the five new “Global Citizen” brand, advocating for who is challenging the status quo in their corresponding sphere of influence (AAhlund 21). The video advert entails Ezra Miller, Karol G, Lizzo, CL, and Joey King as they dance to the beat of a drum in a figurative and literal manner. This video advert was published across all social channels of Urban Decay, which begins with a scene of millennial girls dressed in pink, taking selfies simultaneously in front of ring lights. In this advertisement, there are some feminist themes and ideas that have been presented. Therefore, this paper will look into the feminist themes and ideas presented in this advertisement.
One of the feminist themes portrayed in this advertisement is that women are unique in different ways. In the advertisement, women are depicted to be uniquely beautiful in different ways. It shows that no matter their skin color, every woman remains to be beautiful in their own way. Urban Decay brand focuses on breaking the rules and challenging people to do their makeup in different and unique ways. Moreover, it goes ahead to break the culture that applying makeup is only for girls and women. The advert encourages and emphasizes that wearing makeup is compatible with not only women and girls but also men and women. It emphasizes that every person, regardless of their gender or skin tone, is unique and beautiful in their way. In the advertisement, women of different skin colors are depicted to apply to make and still show up being beautiful in their ways (Pettersson 4). The advert centers on individuality and the power of makeup to bring out the beauty in an individual in a unique way. Women of different races have been placed in a position to use the same makeup applied at the same time, and a difference can be noted as each one of them looks beautify in a unique way. This emphasizes that women are not inferior but are unique in different ways.
In the advertisement, the feminist theme depicted is power. The advertisement tries to prove that women are powerfully inspired by their bold looks. The advertisement stresses that the Urban Decay brand grants women the opportunity to stylish themselves by applying makeup in different ways. It encourages women that they look beautiful by using makeup in the manner that they like. This freedom of applying makeup gives them a bold look. By being brave, women tend to be powerful and courageous enough to face anything (Taylor et al. 127). They are having a bold look boosts, one’s self-esteem. Urban Decay makeup allows women and girls to apply makeup in ways that they feel comfortable with. This freedom of applying makeup helps in increasing women’s morale, making them more powerful. Therefore, women can participate in various top roles and leadership positions. The makeup applied beyond the traditional standards makes them feel powerful. It makes women feel as powerful as their counterparts males. This advert centered on improving women’s self-esteem by giving them the freedom to look pretty in different ways. Now, women have the power to look pretty and be satisfied by their looks without feeling inferior or ugly in front of anyone.
Another feminist idea in the adverts is that since one is a girl, it is never a reason for anything. This advert inspires women that they do not have to let anyone make them feel down. It encourages them that they are beautiful in different ways, and they have the freedom to exploit makeup to make them look better. The advert also brings out the theme that women are inspiring to society. More emphasis is placed on women being an inspiration to the community. In essence, women are the pillar of society, and there is essential to encourage and enhance women through women empowerment (Taylor et al. 128). According to this advert, women empowerment can be achieved through enhancing their beauty through makeup culture that surpasses the standard makeup levels. Based on the theme that a girl is never a reason for anything, the advert tries to inspire women that since they are born women, it makes them inferior compared to men. It tries to give women a reason to make them be proud of themselves by granting them the freedom to apply makeup as they wish so that it would improve their self-esteem. Inspiration has been the core of this advertisement. Women are strongly inspired that they are beautiful in different ways, and no one should intimidate them.
In this advertisement, a feminist idea depicted is that a woman’s job is not be liked but too self-aware of her self as a human. She should be brave, honest, kind, and self-conscious. It stresses that a woman should satisfy her interests. A woman should make herself conformable by pushing boundaries and applying makeup to the levels that she feels comfortable with (Taylor et al. 130). It also stresses that women have to remain self-determined and know their self-value and work towards achieving things in their interest. They need to apply makeup to the limits that they feel that they look presentable.
Conclusion
To sum it all, the advertisement is one of a kind which has remained unique in advertising its brand. Various feminists themes and ideas have been depicted in the advertisement. The advertisement is centered on improving women’s self-esteem by applying makeup beyond the standard limits. With the above mention feminist themes and ideas, Urban Decay’s advertisement has achieved its objective to encourage women to go beyond the limits to prove their self-worth and to show that they are beautiful in different ways.