#darkisbeautiful

[omers2023]

Sorry you can't have this job, please come back when you're fairer

Cut to 2002 in India – “No, I am not going to allow you to play outside in the sun, you will become darker, invite your friends home and play video games” – you would constantly hear my mom say this to me ( 8 year old that loved to play cricket at the park every chance I got). As a kid, I really believed that being fair was the absolute prerequisite to become successful in life.

As I delved into the HBS case, it triggered a wave of memories from my younger days and rekindled my awareness of the deeply ingrained obsession with fair skin that persists even in 2023. Despite my best efforts, I cannot think of effective ways to shift people out of this mindset. Initially, I believed that the prejudice towards dark skin was a result of British colonization of India and its insidious influence on society. However, upon reading the case, I was astounded to learn that this bias has existed for centuries. It is confounding that something as superficial as the color of one's skin can be utilized as a metric to establish their social and economic status. My recollections of a dark-skinned classmate from school being subjected to open mockery and ridicule still haunt me. He would laugh it off, but deep down, I knew he was powerless to change his skin color.

Reflecting on the significant brand equity associated with fairness in India, it is clear that effective advertising has a tremendous ability to shape people's mindsets in today's digital era of targeted advertisements. This power to influence people's attitudes and behaviors is both awe-inspiring and concerning. By portraying people of different skin tones in a positive and diverse light, advertisers can break down stereotypes and challenge the obsession with fair skin. Advertisements must immediately stop featuring only fair-skinned models and need to showcase people/actors of all skin tones, showcasing their talents and achievements without emphasizing skin color. This can help people realize that skin color does not define a person's worth or potential. India is country where people worship the movie stars they like, and for someone like Shahrukh Khan (the biggest star in the country) to go out and promote products like “fair and handsome” is a huge step back in terms of progress. Brand managers hold an ethical responsibility towards society and its prejudices when developing ad campaigns and positioning products.

[mborrisbranding]

Aspirations of Self-Acceptance (15.846 Branding, Week 5)

Are aspiration and self-acceptance mutually exclusive or can they coincide? I believe that the crux of the challenge for Dark is Beautiful is finding a way to make self-acceptance aspirational. Thinking about the customers’ social identities, Nandita Das (in the case) says the preference for fair skin comes not just from colonial holdovers but "from a place of low self-esteem." Low self-esteem is what Fair & Lovely has been targeting and why it's been so successful. This is where WOW / Dark is Beautiful need to focus most: enhance self-esteem of women of all skin colors. They can do this with inclusive and aspirational branding - find actors, leaders, etc. with a diversity of skin colors and highlight and celebrate them.

The other possible avenues – attacking Fair & Lovely, petitioning against Emami – would be less effective. Educating users about the potentially dangerous ingredients won't go very far; it's like asking people to stop drinking diet soda. Emami has Khan, one of the most famous and recognizable Bollywood actors. Even if that ad is taken down, Emami only accounts for 8.4% of the market. Unilever N.V would still dominate with Fair & Lovely, and WOW would have wasted precious time and resources.

Dark is Beautiful needs to create a world in which women know their worth, celebrate the beauty of all skin colors, and walk right past Fair & Lovely in drug stores – maybe to another product that moisturizes, celebrates radiance and overall health (is there such a product already that Dark is Beautiful can endorse?). The celebrity tie-ins are smart, though they need to be careful about including darker skin colors. They may partner with Kangana Ranaut, who has spoken out on various issues that are controversial in India, but she is actually quite fair and may end up hurting their case. I envision an ad more like Dove's "Real Beauty" mentioned in the case, something with real Indian women (relatable) of many skin tones, maybe in positions of leadership (aspirational), exuding confidence.

Dove's Real Beauty campaign. Need a version of this for the Indian market - probably not in underwear.

Dark is Beautiful has a tough road ahead, but I think they will be most successful by focusing on elevating self-esteem. To reject Fair & Lovely as a brand, a customer has to feel that they are beautiful without it.

[ayushkejriwal]

I AM TOO DARK TO WEAR THIS COLOUR Many women who I work with often get a shock when they see the colours I pick for them to wear in my photo shoots. It’s a social conditioning that we go through since our childhood that something is wrong with us because we are dark. We have been led to feel unworthy just because we are not fair. But there’s a sea of difference between what you might be led to believe about your looks and what you actually look like. Now, you may feel that there are indeed certain colours which might be too bright or overpowering to make you feel not too confident to wear it. But if styled correctly, a dark skinned person can wear those very colours quite comfortably. The trick is to not have more than two or three statement elements in the overall look. For instance, if the sari is bright and bold, perhaps the jewellery could be toned down, adding some colourful and contrasting flowers and a bold, big bindi always adds to the looks. #ayushkejriwal #kanjiveram #usasarees #uksarees #kanjisilksarees #weddingsaree #darkwoman #indianwomen #darkisbeautiful https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj79L0usBAF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[blueyouthstarlight]

Fall in love with the dark

[witchstagram14]

Reposted from @wild.divine.feminine @fionamccoss #darkillustration #darknessquotes #darkness #darkisbeautiful https://www.instagram.com/p/CZncQNthIgW/?utm_medium=tumblr

[the-elysian-diva]

Dark and lovely✨

[theblobfish13]

Youthrise is excited to announce that we are collaborating with the organisation, Women of Worth, to host a webinar on the theme ‘colorism in the media.’ This will be a part of the Dark is Beautiful campaign and will take place on 24th October, 5pm (IST). The webinar will talk about issues such as colorism found in advertisements, film, and music and will be a great platform for students to share their experiences and ideas. Our webinar will be featuring Seema Hari, a model and activist, as a guest speaker. Please do sign up using the link below

Click Here

For any other questions, do contact us at youthrise@kis.in.

[artegistfire]

#UnfairandLovely 🤎 Indian obsession with the "fair skin" is deep-rooted and troubled. It is the remains of the "colonial hangover" that we are yet to shake off. From shops for traditional Indian clothing to coaching classes to office spaces to new constructions, many advertise posters with fair skinned or just simply white models. Ad campaigns promoting such products, often show that the challenges faced by a darker woman - challenges ranging from getting a good job to paying for a family member's medical bills to getting into college to getting married to a decent guy - are all hurdles due to her dark complexion somehow. Matrimony ads constantly keep looking for "fair brides" . These examples not only set incorrigible, cringeworthy and simply derogatory standards for women trying to create a space for themselves in this world, but are also just so misleading. A ₹50 tube of the fairness potion cannot magically remove all problems! Buy a snack for that money, girl, roll up your sleeves, and create your own life 💪🏽 . Relatable much? Here are some things you can do: * Don't promote/buy products like "fair&lovely”, etc. They set unreasonable beauty standards AND are also extremely discriminating * Individuals should vote with their buck and refuse to buy these products * Encourage your favorite brands and designers to make sure they appropriate representation in their campaigns. * Don't stay quiet. Call people out, however young or old, if they propogate skincolor based bias. Do it respectfully, but do it. * Support local brands that are pushing for realism in their campaigns and message * Lastly and more importantly, always remember, you're a badass babe. Never stop being yourself 💪🏼 Take care, support each other and stop the bullshit ❤️ . . . . . #browngirls #darkskinned #loveyourmelanin #darkisbeautiful #desiwomen #southasian #mydesigirls #southasiangirls #culturechecks #naturalisbetter #browngirlmagic #youarebeautiful #beyou #stopcolourism #brownbaddies #naturalbeauty #darkandlovely #melaninonpoint #indianartist #challenge2020 #100daydrawingchallenge #womenwhodesign #artegistfire🔥#womeninillustration #innerbeauty #artinspiresart✨ #hitoshmadraws #prejudice (at India) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBa6O61pv57/?igshid=2ngc2xzsyuy2

[luumss-blog]

Was in a real good mood this day 🤓😋

[miasince1978]

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A post shared by Maria Reyes (@miasince1978)

Welcome to the dark side 🖤 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #suculetas #succulents #darthvader #inlove #darkisbeautiful #crespinillo #plantsmakemehappy🍃 #videooftheday (at Mexicali, Baja California) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByyqY2AlJOJ/?igshid=1i71hyctxlxsx

[tajimagazine]

So beautiful we don't have words... y'all caption it... 🙌🏾🙌🏾👑👑 ▪Photo: @daberechi 📷@princemeyson 💄@iamdodos #TajiMag #melanin #blackculture #Africanculture #blackowned #makeupforblackwomen #blackgirlmagic #darkskin #beautifulblackwomen #blackwomanisgod #africanfashion #headwrap #darkisbeautiful https://www.instagram.com/p/Buh6V_plw3y/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1cq5qfiw0p24s

[sladegirl]

Bem filha do comandante Spock. . . . . .#dark #darksouls #darklady #model #trevas #rainhadastrevas #raven #wicca #darkisbeautiful #darkisdivine #witch #blackisgold #blackislove #blackislife #alternativegirl #alternativestyle #gothic #gothicgirl #gothicstyle #woman #redlips #makeup #startrek #spock #interprise #leonardlimoy https://www.instagram.com/p/BtzUVTAAF-z/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rsk327aef806

[le-fantome]

Will I be alone in the afterlife? 👻

[ayushkejriwal]

‘KHUSHI’ She is more than her skin colour. . She is beautiful beyond compare. Her beauty is as rare as a desert rose, covering her from the top of her head to the end of her toes. The universe couldn’t choose a lighter shade to make Khushi, so it used the pure shade of Mother Earth of to make her as beautiful as the pure dark soil. She is as precious as a diamond and as unique as the northern lights. It’s not every day that we see a beauty like her in all it’s glory. It’s not her hair , it’s not her skin, it’s her soul that lives within. She is the fire , she is the air, she is the water and she is the soil. She is everything that is good, she is everything that is real , she is everything that is meaningful and she is the only thing that is beautiful. Her beauty is an exotic treasure that’s beyond compare. And that’s what makes it so precious and rare. . #ayushkejriwal #designerayushkejriwal #bodypositivity #darkisbeautiful #stories #positive #bekind https://www.instagram.com/p/CN8mAfonmut/?igshid=9fapvc1og0yr

[juventinomateo]

X-Ray

[jlovett2018-blog]

The story of the creation of My Black is Beautiful

Over the past 15 years, global consumer brands have recognized and capitalized on the fact that a majority of their customers do not look like the models used to market their products. 

During my time at Procter & Gamble, I was able to meet the products researchers who created and championed the “My Black is Beautiful” marketing campaign. The initial idea came from employees in Beauty Care R&D and marketing, who recognized the gap in credibility P&G’s brands had with women of color. These scientists and marketers saw their family and friends choose non-P&G products that generated worse results for their hair and skin based solely on the fact that those products were promoted by a model or Youtube blogger who looked like them. 

After fighting for resources and finally getting a budget, the group created a hashtag (#myblackisbeautiful), and generated educational videos for women of color using P&G products. They also contacted Youtube bloggers and brought them in to test new product designs that were targeted for black women. 

P&G is still figuring out how to capture the value created by the My Black Is Beautiful campaign; they have explored packaging to signal products that would work well for black men and women. However, the campaign and the non-P&G products that have sprung up around it has generated billions of dollars in revenue and has created an in-group of fashionable, passionate users who look nothing like the traditional image of beauty we held 15 years ago.