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Ads made in certain countries that would not do well anywhere else.

For decades, India has been turning out products meant for skin whitening and the marketing after each of these skin lightening products have been elaborate and exaggerated. Every advertising campaign of such products is cliched and portrays a very narrow mindset where beauty standards are set in stone and if some person does not match them, its enough to deem them as “ugly”. These products not only prey on the insecurity of people, they also give a definite visual representation of features that are considered by them unwanted and unattractive. 

Fair & Lovely is one such brand that has been in India and many other countries in Asia, for decades and has marketed their products over the years in various ways but all their advertisements have one thing is common, it is the portrayal of women with darker skin tone having less self-confidence, being or feeling not as beautiful as the woman next to her who is fair after using the advertised product. 

Due to the already existing flawed beauty standards in India which considered fair and beautiful and anything else as not, this product gained popularity and no one would even bat an eye when seeing the commercial for it. In fact, generation after generation have grown up watching the advertisements for this product where they demean people with any different complexion than fair. It is ironical and absolutely ridiculous to dictate someone’s worth, beauty and confidence by their skin color only. It is counterproductive and it discourages inclusivity which now brands all over the world are aiming for. 

Advertisements of Fair & Lovely and anything like it, would not be received nicely in any country where they choose inclusivity and have no set rigid beauty standards. Altering oneself to attain the beauty standards set by others which is not only outdated but also crushes young women who are already under so much pressure would not be tolerated in any modern country.