Sephora Csp

Question 1

What is Sephora

Answer 1

Sephora is a well established presence in the beauty industry and appeals to a wide range of consumers. The brand have utilised digital platforms to nurture loyalty by offering UGC and tailoring offers through seamless online channel marketing

Question 2

What is the csp

Answer 2

An online advert
Illustrates how conventions of advertising are socially and culturally relative and can be hybrid text
The advert was distributed online only, reflecting how forms adapt to audiences and technology
It can be interpreted as a response to social movements
It tells a story by referencing historical and cultural elements from the past

Question 3

How did the impact of the blm movement help produce this Sephora advert

Answer 3

In response to the Black Lives Matter movement, Sephora has implemented new strategies to amplify black voices. The introduction of three Sephora accelerate program aims to cultivate an international community of female beauty founders. In maintaining its commitment to expanding representation within the Beaty sector, Sephora has selected only BIPIC- owned brands to participate in the program.

Question 4

Context to the advert

Answer 4

• singer sza - got racially profiled in a Sephora store in 19, the company then shut down stores to conduct ‘inclusivity workshops’
  In June 2020 - Sephora announced that they wold take the 15 % pledge meaning 15% of thrift products space would be a black owned business
  In 2018 - they committed to positive representations of the lgbtq community by featuring their own staff from the community in their online programs

Question 5

Representation of race in the advert

Answer 5

The advert is atypical in that it doesn’t nonconformity to hegemonic standards of beauty. Individuals from the bame community who have historically been underrepresented in Beatty advertising. Have been select ed to tfeature int he advert

Question 6

Representation of age in the Sephora advert

Answer 6

Advert is conventional in terms of its focus on a specific age group- the vast majority of beauty products are targeted towards those in the 21-35 age range, while over 35s are totally under-represented

Question 7

Representation of gender in the csp

Answer 7

Butler challenges both Strauss and Lacan who define the world in binaries. She argues that gender is not strictly divided into two, male & female, rather that there is a ‘spectrum’ for gender identity. Gender is a social construct whereby individuals ‘perform’ their gender.
This is presented in the text when drag queens who are anatomically male perform typically female rituals by applying makeup.

bell hooks
hooks notion that black women are omitted from mainstream media representations is contested in this text. As the brand aim to attract a diverse audience the females featured are all POC. No longer are they marginalised, but ‘black beauty is celebrated and credited for its impact on the industry.

evidence of David Gauntlett’s point that there is now a much broader range of representations in the media that challenge traditional notions of masculinity and femininity. He discusses the idea that identity is not fixed and audiences can use media texts to help forge a sense of who they are by self-selecting the versions we want to ‘adopt. This text provides a variety of options on how POC may want to present their identity.
Representation of Race
The advert is atypical in that is does not conform to hegemonic standards of beauty (white, slim, Euro-features, etc.). Individuals

Question 8

What is the significance of locations

Answer 8

The advert features a hairdressing salon, the interior of a woman’s bedroom, a drag dressing room, a family living room, and a carnival changing room.
This diverse array of settings provides a balance of familiar surroundings that can be recognised and relate to the audience as well as provide an atmosphere of fun and performance

Question 9

Advert conventions

Answer 9

Camera pans across the scene of a salon in a typically fluid motion - a common convention of video advertising that creates a sense of momentum and energy
Medium close- up shots of the tools of ‘trade’ are used to communicate the idea that beauty comprises of many elements of which can be attributed to black origins
• The advert utilises split screens and mirror shots to provide ‘ origin’ stories for tools and to showcase the products use in action
• Warm coloured filters are used to create a sense of intimacy and friendliness. The yellow and gold palette indicate a sense of celebration, confidence and enthusiasm; values shared by the brand.
• Digital visual effects where images of users posing to share their look on social media help to create a sense of community and kinship amongst the audience.

Question 10

What close ups do they include in the csp

Answer 10

Close-up shot: establishing scene featuring a POC in a salon to accompany the word ‘beauty which anchors the campaign’s slogan.

Medium close-up shot: cut from salon to dressing room featuring drag queens.
Diverse representation indicating the brand is for all genders.

Mirror close-up: shows the brand’s product being used by a male, subverting usual expectations for a beauty user.

Low angle - shows dominance and pride and power

Question 11

What is that narrative of the of the advert

Answer 11

The advert opens with a question “What is beauty, without black beauty?” Thus ‘hooking the audience into the story they thought they knew. The the premise of the advert is to ‘retell’ the origins of where inventions of tools and techniques began. After the initial exposition in the salon - a recognisable setting, we are whisked away to a white woman’s room where she applies the ‘cut creases’ that were devised by POC. The narrative continues and the audience learn that it is thanks to ‘legendary icons’ that we have such trends that we now imitate and share. Visuals reveal hair straighteners, curling tongs, synthetic brushes, glittery makeup and even moisturiser. At the conclusion of the tale, we are invited to not only acknowledge the origins of such beauty inventions, but also respond - the audience are a part of the ‘new equilibrium, by joining Sephora in supporting black beauty.

Question 12

What is bell hooks theory and how does it link to Sephora

Answer 12

Hooks notion that black women are excluded from mainstream media representation is contested in this media text, in the advert the Sephora brand aims to attract a diverse audience and all the females featured are people of colour. They are no longer marginalised instead black beauty is celebrated and recognised for its impact on the industry

Question 13

What is gilroys postcolonial theory?

Answer 13

Gilroy’s Postcolonial theory, which posits racial hierarchies, is challenged in this advert. The advert does not reinforce but rather challenges hegemonic standards of beauty, such as white, slim, Eurocentric features, etc. Individuals from the BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) community, who have historically been underrepresented in beauty advertising, have been selected to feature in this advert.

Question 14

What is the opening scene and why is it significant

Answer 14

advert starts, the scene is established in a beauty salon for black women. The camera pans across the salon in a typically fluid motion, a common convention of video advertising that creates a sense of momentum and energy. Medium close-up shots of the tools of the “trade” are used to communicate the idea that beauty comprises many elements that can be attributed to black origins. The advert then utilises split screens and mirror shots to provide origin stories for tools and to showcase the products in action, creating a binary opposition between old versus new. There are parallels drawn between black beauty inventions, history, current trends, and beauty products.

Question 15

Why was a scene with a hairbrush significant for the advert

Answer 15

close-up of a hairbrush is shown, which was patented by Lyda Newman, an African American activist and hairdresser who invented the bristle hairbrush.

Question 16

How does it show further significance to black culture in the scenes

Answer 16

As the advert progresses, there are mentions of “cut creases” and “beat faces”, which are terms used within Black American and drag slang culture. The phrase “these icons” is used while showing old footage of black icons in fashion, emphasising how black history and culture are responsible for many iconic beauty looks and trends.

Question 17

What significance does that scene with the mother and daughter have

Answer 17

An image of a mother doing her child’s hair is shown, and the voice-over references “a mother’s love”. Warm light is used to reinforce this positive moment between a mother and her daughter

Question 18

What does the scene with people dancing infer

Answer 18

This then transitions to a shot of smiling, dancing people, presenting a very positive image of happy individuals that helps to challenge the often negative stereotypes of black communities that are presented to us via the media.

Question 19

How does a women making shea butter help with the advert

Answer 19

black woman is shown making her own shea butter, mixing it in a bowl in her kitchen. This signifies that black women have often had to create their own beauty products as they have not traditionally been catered to by most existing beauty brands.

Question 20

Why does Beauty and accessories help with the advert and showing black power

Answer 20

Shots of acrylic nails, glitter, and hair extensions are presented, all of which stem from black culture. As the voice-over says,
“doing it for the culture, the trends we love, the tools we need”.
We see a montage of shots featuring women of colour using various beauty tools and techniques. “The styles we can’t wait to post” is a reference to social media, and here we are shown a picture-in-picture of someone vlogging/posting online, reflecting the increasingly popular online world of beauty vlogging.
This represents the issue of cultural appropriation and misrepresentation online, where many beauty vloggers/ influencers/celebrities often take credit for styles as though they created them themselves, without acknowledging their original origins within the black community.

Question 21

How does editing come in and help the advert

Answer 21

The editing here helps emphasise the idea of cultural appropriation. We see what appears to be a white woman doing cut creases on her eyelids, which then cuts to black drag queens doing similar cut creases and extreme contouring. This editing technique emphasises the origin of these makeup techniques in LGBTQ and black communities.

Question 22

How is diversity presented in the advert

Answer 22

Diversity within the advert is presented through various shots featuring different genders, body shapes, sexualities, and skin tones. The fundamental message is about inclusivity. The twelve-picture split screen helps reinforce inclusivity and reflects the number of people who have been involved in the creation of beauty trends. This aims to attract as wide an audience as possible and engage a varied audience from different backgrounds. The inclusive message is that everyone can enjoy makeup and beauty irrespective of gender, sexuality, and colour.

Question 23

Summary of the advert

Answer 23

Overall, the advert deviates from the conventional focus on individual products or brands and instead centres on the message of inclusivity and diversity. The audience is encouraged to relate to the depicted images of people in their own homes, bedrooms, and beauty salons, implying that this positivity is associated with the Sephora brand.
Analysing the Sephora advert provides an opportunity to discuss race and gender within a commercial context. The use of progressive messaging, as exemplified in this advert, regarding diversity as a marketing strategy reflects how brands are targeting contemporary consumers

Question 24

What does the message join Sephora in supporting and celebrating black Beauty mean?

Answer 24

At the end of the advert, the message “Join Sephora in supporting and celebrating Black beauty” conveys the idea that Sephora is a brand leading the campaign for equality. This may be an effort to address past racial controversies and present Sephora as a company championing ethnic diversity and equality. The capitalisation of the letter “b” in the word “black” emphasises the notion of black power, its dominance, and importance.