The ad I’ve chosen to culture jam is from the makeup brand “MAC”. MAC is a well-known cosmetics company in Canada and many other parts of the world, known for their high quality products and innovative collections and collaborations. What most people don’t know about this company is that they test their products on animals. The company’s expansion into the market in China imposed regulations which include the unethical testing of products on animals, funded by the company itself. In a statement from MAC, they’ve stated that though the testing of animals is something that the company is “dedicated to eliminating”, they understand that some countries believe they need to conduct or require animal testing in order to validate the safety of cosmetic ingredients or products. The full statement released is contradictory in itself, with the company taking the stance that they’re firmly against animal testing, yet they’re heeding to the requests of the Chinese government. All I can conclude from this is that the company’s expansion into China is a capitalist approach towards making more money in a highly active and populated country. It’s absurd that MAC even released a statement trying to defend themselves, when a company actually committed to upholding its beliefs wouldn’t throw those beliefs away in the face of money.

The particular ad I’ve chosen is one that, like all MAC ads, showcases a woman with expertly done, colour makeup. The fine print indicates that the company is releasing new makeup that’s “seeking alternative energy”, and is a “true hybrid formula between science and beauty”. Initial inspection of ads of this sort seek out to intrigue individuals not only through the perfected faces on the covers, but through highly attractive language that leads one to believe that the miracle of science combined with beauty will result in the creation of superior cosmetics products. What this ad severely fails to highlight is that this so called “hybrid” formula is one being created in labs where animals are being subjected to torture and abuse.

I attempted to alter this ad by showcasing some of the actual chemical effects faced by laboratory animals on the faces of the two women. Compared to the previous ad, this one aims to downplays the effects of glamour and appeal by presenting external wounds to the women’s faces. I did this by adding blood, scarring, bruising, and hyper-pigmentation. In reality, these are only a small sum of the effects laboratory animals are victims of. Laboratory testing often leaves animals not only physically harmed through various means, but mentally harmed as well. However, in this ad, I was only able to show a fraction of their torture by physically disfiguring the two faces on the ad. Perhaps physical wounds are the best to show to the public though, because they force you to visually see and acknowledge them. Juxtaposed sided by side, comparing the previous ad to this culturally jammed one, it would hopefully serve to highlight how an industry dedicated to helping promote beauty goes about this in very underhanded and not so beautiful ways. I added the text “hybrid formula = animal testing” because I wanted to make sure that the any effects of appealing language would be diminished, and that MAC’s unethical practices were emphasized. If the company was being really honest, they’d state that this hybrid formula was created in an unethical lab at the misfortune at many other animals.

Animal testing is a secret many industry insiders want to hide from the general public. It’s often something we don’t come to acknowledge because many of us believe we are living in times where technology and science are so advanced, that animal testing has basically been banned and isn’t carried out anymore. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. My main goal with altering this ad was to create a sense of discomfort in the fact that, if it’s not something you’d want done to you or your face, why is is okay to have it done to another creature?