Katy Perry is a famous American singer/songwriter who has appeared on hit shows like American Idol as a judge, performed the halftime show at the Super-Bowl, and has gone on sold out tours internationally. Therefore she is a smart choice for skincare company Proactiv to use as their spokesmodel. Her fan base is largely young men & women, who also happen to be the most likely to be plagued with skincare woes. Proactiv’s move to market towards this target audience is revealed through their choice of spokesmodel. However, this ad is deleterious to those with ambitions to be successful, as it implies that no matter how hard Perry works, no matter how much money she spends on elaborate tour venues, no matter how kind or intelligent she is- she owes her multimillion dollar career to the mere fact that she uses Proactiv when she has acne outbreaks. This is the secret to her success.
As an empowered female, the presence of acne should not correlate with the success described in this ad- Perry is talented regardless of a few blemishes on her face. Instilling this sense of “you’re not good enough if you’re not using Proactiv during breakouts”, the target audience is likely to assume that without perfect skin, the kind of success Perry has achieved is unattainable. No doubt airbrushed in the photo pictured, Perry’s skin is luminous & clear, and she is seen smiling- evidently due to the fact her skin is perfect. Thanks Proactiv!
Shaming a woman for her acne is immoral, shallow and wrong. This ad seeks to promote that the only way to truly be successful is to care about what is skin-deep (how you look, how you dress, how you fight acne breakouts etc.), disregarding completely the hard work, talent & determination behind becoming successful. That’s why I’ve decided to change the secondary text to feature something that young women should be acknowledging- it isn’t those external attributes that determine the altitude of success achieved, but the internal strengths that get you to the top.
By writing “she’s hardworking & talented” as the secret to Perry’s success, those with ambitions to make it in the entertainment industry can see the truth behind what it takes. When looking into what Perry credits as lessons she has learned in her path to super stardom, she consistently references a “never say never” attitude & emphasizes the importance of determination- especially when things aren’t going as well as planned. These are the things that distinguish hardworking individuals from those who aren’t as ambitious. Nowhere does she mention having clear skin as her ticket to fame.
In an effort to unveil the true secret behind Perry’s success, my hope was to reduce the pressure from unattainable beauty standards & instead turn the focus towards internal traits that could lead to such success. Perry’s parents were preachers, and it was singing the Gospel where she initially tried to start her career. She had considerable support in this endeavour, but when she turned to Pop music, the controversial lyrics in many of her songs put her at odds with her religious parents. She had to overcome this in order to make the change, showing formidable strength to do so. These are the traits that should be celebrated when discussing Perry’s success- not whether or not Proactiv helped in reducing her visible acne.
Young men and women viewing this ad should remember that it is truly not what is on the outside that counts, and success should never be determined by external characteristics, such as the presence of acne. Instead, there is merit to be found in the success that comes from within.
