Advertising: Sephora Black Beauty is Beauty CSP
Blog tasks: Sephora Black Beauty Is Beauty CSP
Work through the following tasks to make sure you're an expert on the Sephora CSP and particularly the wider social and cultural contexts.
Wider reading on Sephora Black Beauty Is Beauty
Read these articles on the Sephora campaign:
The Drum: Black Beauty is Beauty by RGA
Glossy: Sephora celebrates Black beauty in new digital and TV campaign
Read these articles on the Sephora campaign:
The Drum: Black Beauty is Beauty by RGA
Glossy: Sephora celebrates Black beauty in new digital and TV campaign
Complete the following questions/tasks:
1) What was Sephora trying to achieve with the campaign?
1) What was Sephora trying to achieve with the campaign?
Sephora is trying to advance racial equity in the beauty and retail sectors and generate conversations about the campaign on social media as well as bring awareness to Black beauty products in Sephora stores and possibly even encourage other brands to do the 15% pledge.
2) What scenes from the advert are highlighted as particularly significant in the articles?
The advert also highlights Lyda D.Newman patented the first easy-to-clean hairbrush with synthetic bristles and the design of the hairbrush is highlighted in the advert. The film also shows a white person applying a cut crease, then cuts to a trio of drag queens beating their face, then to vogueing at a drag ball. The message is clear: these trends are Black and queer. From the Black mum who laid our edges as children and taught us to use thick lotions instead of that watery mess, we birthed make-up and skin care with our love and shared it with the world.
3) As well as YouTube, what TV channels and networks did the advert appear on?
The advert appeared on BET, OWN Hulu, HBO Max, branded content and podcast advertising through Vox and New York's magazine The Cut and digital ads across social media networks.
4) Why does the Refinery29 article suggest the advert 'doesn't feel performative'?
Refinery29 suggested the advert doesn't feel performative due to the inclusion of history and all body types, orientations and races, no one feels left out. Refinery29 also mentions that the film has more inclusion in its under-a-minute runtime than two hour features have in their whole film.
5) What is the 15 per cent pledge and why is it significant?
The 15% pledge is when stores pledge to stock at least 15% of their shelves with Black-owned brands. This is significant as Black owned brands are getting the recognition they deserve and the same opportunity for customers to purchase them like white-owned brands have and allows Black-owned brands to earn more profit.
Advertising agency feature
The Black Beauty Is Beauty advertising spot was created by global creative agency R/GA. Look at their website feature on the project and answer the following questions:
1) Why did Sephora approach R/GA to develop the advert?
Sephora was ready to do something about racial equity in the beauty industry and had already commissioned a study on racial bias in retail and was making plans to combat bias in its own stores however Sephora needed R/GA's help to talk about its commitment.
2) What was the truth that R/GA helped Sephora to share?
R/GA helped Sephora share the truth of the ingenuity and influence of Black people that have led to many of the beauty trends, ingredients, tools and language we all enjoy. It was time to give credit where it's due and encourage the beauty industry to do the same.
3) How did the advert 'rewrite the narrative'?
The work was equal part thesis and campaign spelling out the influence of Black beauty culture on mainstream beauty. The launch film credited Black beauty for the cut crease, the hairbrush, and many more beauty staples we all enjoy. An editorial partnership with The Cut and an SEM takeover allowed R/GA to continue sharing that history and giving Black beauty culture the credit it deserves.
Sephora website: Black Beauty Is Beauty
Visit the Sephora website page on Black Beauty Is Beauty. Answer the following questions:
1) How does Sephora introduce the campaign?
Sephora introduces the campaign by saying 'Support & Celebrate Black Beauty' with the background of the banner containing still images from their advert. Sephora also provides statistics to emphasise how ignored/ under-represented the Black beauty industry really is. Sephora mentions their short film celebrates the tremendous impact and influence of Black beauty on the industry at large.
2) What statistics are highlighted on the website?
-3% of brands at major beauty retailers are Black owned.
-<1% of venture capital funding goes to Black owned businesses.
-78% of shoppers across the retail industry don't see enough brands owned by or made for people of colour.
-2 in 5 shoppers across the retail industry have personally experienced unfair treatment on the basis of their race or skin colour.
3) What do we learn about Garrett Bradley - the director of the advert?
Garrett Bradley is an American artist and filmmaker whose work focuses on themes such as race, class and the history of film in the U.S. In 2020 she was the first Black woman to win best director of a documentary at Sundance for her film 'Time'. This advert was her commercial debut.
Media language: textual analysis
Watch the advert again and answer the following questions that focus on technical and verbal codes. Use your notes from the lesson to help you here.
1) How does the advert use camerawork to communicate key messages about the brand?
-Camera is constantly moving as if it's taking us on a journey on the change in culture and the social progress.
-Lot's of close-ups are used throughout the advert which is to emphasise the features of Black beauty and create intimacy.
-Lot's of zoom ins as well on the Black cultural trends.
2) How is mise-en-scene used to create meanings about black beauty and culture?
In the advert we see many different settings used, such as a home where we see a mother doing her daughters hair, a hair salon, dressing room, bathroom and kitchen.
-We see many models who are wearing make-up that features the Black beauty techniques.
3) How is editing used to create juxtapositions and meanings in the advert?
Archive footage is juxtaposed with split screens with up-to-date shots.
-Split screen editing represents everyone and captures the varied aspects of Black beauty and culture.
-Photographic effect- importance of image, appeal to Instagram generation/social media.
- Picture-in-picture effect creates video call/ YouTube tutorial effect which reflects digital culture.
4) How are verbal codes used to create meanings in the advert - the voiceover and text on screen?
- 'What is beauty without Black beauty?' draws attention to racial bias in beauty industry which excludes positive representations.
-'Cut creases, beat faces, legendary icons, baby hairs, laid edges.' Specific Black terminology which gives authenticity to adverts.
-'... doing it for the culture' empowering message which is about brand building for Sephora not inadequacy marketing.
-'The styles we can't wait to post' reflects 21st century media landscape brands and advertisers now operate in.
-'Black beauty'- Sephora capitalise B in Black throughout this campaign which establishes importance of Black culture.
-'Join Sephora in supporting and celebrating Black beauty' call to action: social media/sharing etc.
-'So it's time we all give Black beauty the credit it deserves.'- message of the campaign= response to racial profiling scandal?
5) What is the overall message of the advert?
The overall message of the advert is to generate awareness of Black beauty brands and bring people to support and celebrate Black beauty however on the other hand you could argue Sephora focused on this advert to build their brand and possibly even use this advert as a response to their racial profiling scandal.
Media factsheet
Finally, go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #259: Sephora Online Advert - Black Beauty Is Beauty. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets. If you need to access this from home you can find our factsheet archive here (you'll need to use your Greenford login).
1) Look at the exam hint on the first page. How does Sephora as a brand and the CSP specifically reflect contemporary social and cultural contexts?
Sephora does this by emphasising the importance of commemorating diversity. This further adds to the ongoing movement towards representation in thee med the Black mainstream conventions.
2) Media theory: how are Butler, Gauntlett, bell hooks and Gilroy applied to the CSP?
Butler - Butler's theory of 'Gender fluidity' states that gender is a performance and it shown in the CSP where drag queens, that are male, perform traditionally female rituals by applying make-up. Gauntlett - He states how identity is not fixed and audiences can use media texts to help shape ourselves. The text provides the audience in ways that they could represent their identity. Bell hooks - Her theory of intersectionality states how different types of discrimination work together to shape people's lives and experiences. In the advert, attracts a diverse audience and all the females' features are people of colour.
3) What aspects of media language are highlighted on page 3 of the factsheet?
As the advert starts, the scene is established in a beauty salon for black women. The camera pans across the salon in a typically fluid motion. Medium close-up shots of the tools of the “trade” are used to communicate the idea that beauty comprises many elements that can be attributed to black origins. The advert then utilises split screens and mirror shots to provide origin stories for tools and to showcase the products in action, creating a binary opposition between old versus new. There are parallels drawn between black beauty inventions, history, current trends, and beauty products. A close-up of a hairbrush is shown, which was patented by Lyda Newman, an African American activist and hairdresser who invented the bristle hairbrush.
4) How does the factsheet summarise the advert on the final page?
Overall, the advert deviates from the conventional focus on individual products or brands and instead centres on the message of inclusivity and diversity. The audience is encouraged to relate to the depicted images of people in their own homes, bedrooms, and beauty salons, implying that this positivity is associated with the Sephora brand.
5) What are the four ideologies in advertising highlighted in task 8 on the final page of the factsheet? In your opinion, do you feel the Sephora CSP advert challenges or reinforces each of these?
Consumerism - The Sephora CSP challenges this idea because its is not focused on the acqusiion of consumer goods but instead the message on diversity.
Identity - The CSP reinforces this by embracing the identities of the people's different features , cultural backgrounds and different hair/make-up..
Capitalism - The CSP may hint at capitalism through their products. Sephora is possible using these people of colour to promote their products and build a better image rather than try and acknowledge the Black convention.
Gender Fluidity- The CSP highlights this in which they show a man performing traditionally female rituals by applying make- up
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