Maybelline’s collection ‘That Bold Life’ features the advertisement of their new ‘Big Shot Mascara’. Maybelline’s first-ever partnership with a male as the star of a campaign sparked interest and applause due to the stereotypes of a typical female being the star, being cast aside.  Manny Gutierrez, makeup guru and icon, has following of over 4million. This suggests Maybelline’s

Maybelline has used a persuasive use of marketing by using the YouTuber and makeup artist Manny MUA who has a total of 4.85 million subscribers.

Maybelline New York is the latest big makeup brand to tap into the rise of the “beauty boy”, appointing American YouTuber Manny Gutierrez as its first male ambassador following a similar move by its competitor CoverGirl in October.

Manny, who has accrued more than 4 million followers to his YouTube channel since he started posting makeup tutorials in 2014, stars in the brand’s new That Boss Life campaign.

The advert shows Maybelline’s new line of mascara and the two actors seen using the mascara and watching their lives turn amazing after using the new product the frequent use of the colour gold: gold packaging, gold suitcase, gold clothing is symbolic of luxury and wealth reflecting upon how consumers will feel after using the product.. The use of the strap line ‘let’s get bossed up’ may seem repetitive and cheesy, but this is done on purpose as it is likely that consumers will find the advert memorable and therefore convince them to buy it.

NEEDS	RESEARCH PRODUCT 1	RESEARCH PRODUCT 2	MY PRODUCT
Understanding Self
Enjoyment	Bright colours
Escapism	Fruit with personality
Knowledge About The World	Learning about different fruits
Self Confidence, Self Esteem	Feels good after drinking
Strengthen Connections With Family And/Or Friends	Parents buy the product for their child		A box of chocolates that you can share with others
Any Other Category Or Theme

RESEARCH PRODUCT 1:

The AD appeals to many people through having multiple races and genders in the AD, the diverse “cast” appeals to more people who fit into that diversity instead of just straight white women. The male model – MannyMUA- is a youtuber with a sizable following, this following may also help the AD as his followers are likely to be keen in the product and watch the AD just because Manny is in it. This AD would never have been aired just a few decades ago, where most if not all models were described as “Tall, white and skinny” – the inclusion of diversity in this AD and many like it show a slow progression to include everybody regardless of who they are. “After decades of limiting makeup ads to women, beauty brands are finally getting the hint that makeup isn’t just for girls; it’s for guys too.”

Advertising budget in millions per year (Maybelline)

The same year that MannyMUA Maybelline spent 291 Million dollars on advertising alone, showing not only their size but the budget they put into the AD with Manny in.

• The advert is based around a luxury lifestyle with the New York apartment, gold clothing and gold suitcase. The product is also in a gold mascara tube.
• The ads background presents the opinion that anyone of any social class is able to afford Maybelline’s mascara, as it isn’t a glamorous hotel but not too low priced.
• Manny’s encouraging everyone, no matter their gender, to “lash like a boss.”

Semiotic Analysis

Colour Codes

• Most obvious is the colour gold, introduced when the butler brings in the trolley of luggage including a gold suitcase. Stands out as it contrasts the dull colour pallet of the start of the video. When the suitcase is opened an angelic sound plays, angelic sound effect, an important aural code in the text, and their positive reaction reinforces the mental concept of beauty and bliss.
• Upon opening the suitcase, the whole room turns gold, and a gold filter is applied to the footage
• The marketing team are obviously trying to connect the Maybelline brand to this culturally important colour code.
• Gold is obviously a rare/ expensive mineral and so has connotations of wealth, power & status
• The above is the second order of meaning from Roland Barthes’s theory (sign consisted of two parts, the form and the concept)

In 2017 Maybelline made a male model the face of their brand. Just a decade ago, modelling was a field that fared poorly in terms of diversity and inclusion. ‘Tall, white and skinny’ was the description that would fit most models. But, now, with black and Asian supermodels, along with the popularity of several plus-size and transgender models, modelling has become a much more inclusive space. Now pushing the frontiers further, a gay YouTube star has become the first male model for international cosmetic giant Maybelline. With over three million followers on Instagram and over two million subscribers on YouTube, Manny Guiterrez is already extremely popular. Manny tweeted, “Can’t believe Maybelline posted me on Instagram. I think I’m the first boy they’ve ever posted! We’re breaking boundaries guys!”

https://yourstory.com/2017/01/manny-gutierrez/amp

“Maybelline New York is available in over 129 countries. Founded in 1915 by an American chemist on behalf of his sister Maybel”

 “In 2020, an estimated 4.48 million people used Maybelline eye make-up”

“The brand’s personality and voice is all about masculine supremacy and self-belief, and is heavily reinforcing stereotypes of a patriarchal society”

“The tone of the campaign is exciting, upbeat and of its time. It is easy to see why Maybelline New York chose the pair for the campaign. Manny and Shayla have strong, fun personalities; they have grown their own star image through vlogging beauty tutorials so have a clearly defined youth audience. Both emphasise how important it is to be comfortable with yourself and ‘live like a boss’, a positive mantra that is already well used and ingrained in everyday vernacular, especially with the younger generation. The mode of address of the whole campaign is youthful and empowering. Slogans like ‘let’s get bossed out’ suggest a positive and powerful mindset that can be achieved with just the flick of a mascara brush.”

Textual Analysis:

In this ad the viewer can see a man sat on a Sedan chair, being held up/carried by 5 objectively attractive women. By their clothing the viewer can be left to assume that this ad takes place in a jungle, since jungles are humid this conveys the message that the hair product can withstand humid climates. Furthermore, the clothing can also be seen to explore the idea of a sexual nature.

Semiotics:

-Sub text “get what you’ve always wanted” to show that this was his fantasy and it came true all because of this product.

-Dominant signifier (Male in the top, centre)

-Paradigm (Collection of woman to show off the male)

-Anchorage (Collection of woman carrying the male)

-Code (Paragraph shows how this man has ended up being worshipped)

-Reactionary (At the time, it was a patriarchy, so the man is being carried above everyone else and is being praised)

Representation:

This ad represents men heterosexually and that their main objective is to be popular with woman above all else. It also implies that woman have to/should serve men, which in the 60’s was true in the patriarchal society where the collective identities within society were much more narrow

– 1967 advertisement

Arguable due to the sexist approach of the male be admired by females around him. ‘Get what you always wanted’ simplifies the idea that all males wish to be paraded through the jungle by females dressed in minimal clothing, when in fact a bottle of hair gel cannot achieve that. When mentioning the minimal clothing, the idea of a sexualised view of women selling when it comes to advertisement is only emphasised. Laura Mulvey’s theory of the ‘male gaze’ links to this due to a group of four females lifting him above them. Infatuated by his appearance and masculinity of carrying weaponry, of which was potentially used to shoot his prey.

The male directed product includes the mentioning of it smelling of ‘the male scent’, not justifying what that exactly is. No mention of a unisex approach to the product is included, suggesting the time and lack of knowledge, when it comes to targeting a large audience.

The advert was made in 1967 and can be examined by the historical and social values at that time.

Also the “Second wave of feminism” was going on during the time this advert was created. This movement created a larger acceptance of birth control, divorce, abortion and homosexuality.

However the score advert was created during the down fall of the empire so the representation of women may be used to help to link to the former values of masculinity and the man is in control. In the representation of women shows that the man is still very much in charge as they are holding him up and carrying him where he wants.

It represents women in a sexual manner, creating more people to buy because its linked to sex.