Original Advertisement

In the Max Factor Colour Correcting Cream advertisement, the company uses the advertisement to promote the benefits of using their make up. This advertisement sets specific guidelines of what is expected from women, which is perfection. With the largest words in the ad being “PERFECTED”, it implies that all women with flaws need to be fixed or in this case, perfected. Beauty marks, scars, and blemishes, are seen as imperfect and therefore not fulfilling the societal standard of beauty. However the woman in the advertisement appears to uphold this standard of perfection: flawless fair skin, blue eyes, and light coloured hair. Most young girls who come across this advertisement may think that this is the standard that they must uphold in order to be considered beautiful or perfect. However, if they do not understand the marketing process, they would assume that this woman looks like this naturally. Professionals retouch almost 100% of professional advertisements published in the media, which create unrealistic expectations that people aspire fulfill. Perfection becomes something that society strives towards it is also an idea that can never be accomplished. By labelling a product as something that can change one’s imperfections, companies use the idea of perfection to increase their sales.

Companies who create these advertisements strive to target vulnerable populations like young women who feel the need to change their own appearance. It establishes the belief that one product can change who they are as people, which can bring them closer to the idea of perfection. Yet, when these products do not provide the results that the consumers expect, it damages the idea of a positive body image.

Jammed Ad

The idea behind the jammed advertisement is exposing the truth behind the marketing of products while empowering women to accept that there is no such thing as perfection, especially when it comes to physical appearance. I altered key words used in the ad that I felt were use to engage consumers into purchasing this product, such as “colour correcting cream”, “I am perfected”, and “you’re your glamour statement”. Instead of colour correcting cream, I changed the text to say “photo correcting programs”. It explains the truth behind the flawless complexion of the woman in the advertisement while exposing what marketing companies do to attract a greater audience. It is also acknowledging that Max Factor CC Cream is only one of the many advertisements made by companies that deceive audiences with flawless models only to sell more of their products. By keeping the words “I AM PERFECT” as part of the advertisement, I wanted to establish the idea that everyone is perfect no matter what imperfections they have with their appearance. Since it is the largest text displayed, it is what I hope audiences take out of reading the advertisement, that no matter what they look like, they are perfect and they do not need a product to make them so. Another key aspect of the altercation is the change in the last few lines that read, “make unrealistic expectations everyday”. It emphasizes the idea that photo retouching allows society to create unrealistic expectations for themselves, simply by comparing themselves to advertisements like this. It also completely different from “making glamour statements”, which was the original text presented original advertisement. It is unfortunate that companies often use retouched images to advertise their products and do not think of the negative impact it can make on their audiences.