Unfair Promotion of Whitening Creams: Is Beauty No More Skin Deep?

ISSN 0976-0911 e-ISSN 2249-8818

DOI: 10.15655/mw/2019/v10i2/49635

Home

Unfair Promotion of Whitening Creams: Is Beauty No More Skin Deep?

Gajendra Singh Chauhan & AakretI Tiwari

BITS Pilani, India

Abstract

Fairness industry is a multi-billion business endorsing the notion that being ‘fair’ is beautiful and being ‘dusky’ is always risky. This article explores how the advertising of fairness cream belittles the existence of women in India. Focusing on the promotion of whitening brands as a case study, the authors bring out the contradictions and unverifiable assertions in the marketing philosophy of beauty, the social obsession, the aspirations of young men and women, the Bollywood glamour, and the darker side of fairness. It is appalling to see the reckless promotional campaigns even when the tons of whitening tubes cannot change what is genetically determined by the amount of melanin in the skin. Such advertising campaigns of whitening creams and their strategies rob not only the consumers of their self-esteem but also infuse a false sense of inferiority and guilt. The article seeks to understand the marketing campaigns of whitening creams and suggests that their advertising appeals can be altered to salvage the image of Indian women whose survival is not just confined to the skin tone. It further urges the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI)1 to have stringent guidelines to check the representation of stereotypical assumptions of women and their social status in advertisements.

Keywords: Gender, fairness, advertising, society, celebrity endorsements, brands

References

Bali, E. (2017, April 13).Abhay Deol triggers debate on fairness products; ad filmmakers and actors weigh in. Hindustan Times. Retrieved from https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/abhay-deol-triggers-debate-on-fairness-products-ad-filmmakers-and-actors-weigh-in/story Mn1LKKavk5AKCghMNK23YJ.html

Bhatt, S. (2014, February 26) Journey of fairness creams’ advertising in India.Economics Times.ET Bureau. Retrieved from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/brand-equity/journey-of-fairness-creams-advertising-in-india/articleshow/30997189.cms

Bloch, P. H., & Richins, M.L. (1992). You look marvelous: The pursuit of beauty and the marketing concept. Psychology and Marketing, vol.9 (1), February, 3-15.

Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A social critique of the judgment of taste. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Elliot, R., & Percy, L. (2007).Strategic Brand Management. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Gupta, M. (2015, September 17).Know the complete truth about your fairness cream — Times of India.

Hondros, Chris. (2017, July 19). How advertisers play the mind game. The Week. Retrieved from http://www.theweek.co.uk/86888/how-advertisers-play-the-mind-game

India Fairness Cream & Bleach Market Overview, 2018-2023. (2018) March 21. Retrieved from https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180321005573/en/India-Fairness-Cream-Bleach-Market-Overview-2018-2023

Joshi, D. (2010, February 24). Many Shades of fairness.afaqs!. Mumbai. Retrieved from http://www.afaqs.com/news/story/26358_The-many-shades-of-fairness

Kotler P (1991). Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, Implementation and Control, 7th ed, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

Matrimonial. (May 22, 2016) The Hindu. Retrieved from https://www.thehindu.com/classifieds/matrimonial/?categoryName=bridegroomMatrimonial.

Pacheco, S. (2015, September 21).Kangana Ranaut ashamed of actors endorsing fairness creams. Indian Express. Retrieved from https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/kangana-ranaut-is-ashamed-of-actors-endorsing-fairness-creams/

Rajapet, M.,& Karmakar, I. (2018).Top 10 Skin Lightening Creams, Gels, And Serums.Stylecraze. Retrieved from http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/top-10-skin-lightening-creams/#gref

Schiffman, L.G., & Kanuk, L.L. (2007). Consumer Behavior. New Jersey: Pearson Education International Press.

Veblen, T. (1979).The Theory of Leisure Class. New York: Kelly.

Vinayak, G. (2017).Who is the fairest of all: Celebrities who have endorsed fairness creams Yahoo India Lifestyle. Retrieved from https://in.style.yahoo.com/fairest-celebrities-endorsed-fairness-creams-slideshow-wp-104503170/photo-p-face-emami-fair-handsome-photo-104503909.html

Gajendra Singh Chauhan (Ph.D., Devi Ahilya University, Indore, 2004) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at BITS Pilani, Pilani-333031, India. He specializes in applied linguistics, advertising communication, and media writing with a focus on the linguistics of advertising in India.

Aakreti Tiwari is pursuing an MBA with BITS Pilani, and currently interning as Product Efficiency Engineer with Maybank MBB Labs Pvt. Ltd. Her interest areas are Indian culture, society, and history. Email: gsc@pilani.bits-pilani.ac.in