L'Oreal - This is an Ad for Men

Over the last few years, there have been significant shifts in the culture of beauty. Nowadays, consumers want inclusivity, diversity, and authenticity. There’s a high demand to see inclusivity and representation in the images that consumers are buying. Many brands are taking advantage of this by challenging the assumption that makeup is only for women. Big brands still favor the traditional airbrushed look of makeup advertisements. It's refreshing to see one of the world's largest cosmetics companies, L'Oreal Paris, use its influence and power to promote an important cause.

Data was collected by L’Oreal on gender representation in businesses. These data points were then transformed into infographics depicting makeup. The inclusion of the phrase “hire more women in leadership roles” indicates that these advertisements are aimed towards old, white men, the most common demographic for those in leadership roles. It was interesting to see “This is an ad for men” in a makeup advertisement, as these two elements, makeup and men, are not typically associated with each other. Contrary to popular belief, the advertisement demonstrates beauty standards for women can also be used to empower women to reach positions of leadership.