How brands are being effected by the desire for real people.
Within recent years the desire for more natural models and less photoshopped bodies has become loudly voiced in the fashion and beauty communities. Readers have expressed their desire for real people, real skin, and real beauty. Many brands have caught onto this universal trend and have taken initiative by creating campaigns and movements that feature untouched photographs.
Doing this has surprisingly opened a can of worms for some brands, like Bobbi Brown, who claim to use real people and untouched photographs but readers don’t see the efforts to be “real” enough. Bobbi Brown was recently under the spotlight for their ‘Be Who You Are’ campaign that used real women in all ages and ethnicities as opposed to models. Readers were upset when the campaign came out and they felt like the campaign wasn’t diverse enough.
Aerie is another brand that is known for using untouched photographs in their campaigns and advertising and has been praised for their efforts. All of their models are real women with real bodies and imperfections. The brand utilizes the hashtag #AerieREAL and promotes body positivity and inclusivity in all of their efforts.
With anything in media, viewers and readers have to use their better judgment to determine what they see as authentic and what they don’t.
Hailee Cerva 