Blog tasks: Sephora Black Beauty Is Beauty CSP

 1) What was Sephora trying to achieve with the campaign?

They wanted to show their support for black beauty culture after a scandal that occurred with a black celebrity. 

2) What scenes from the advert are highlighted as particularly significant in the articles?

Beauty parlour: Opens in a salon with Black women under dryers—evokes heritage and everyday Black beauty rituals.

Drag show dressing room: Shows drag queens doing makeup—emphasises queer and Black influence on beauty trends.
Black mother with her daughter: Represents generational knowledge and care in Black families.
Vogueing at a drag ball: Highlights the origin of popular beauty/dance culture in Black and queer communities.
White person applying a cut crease: pointing out how mainstream trends stem from Black creativity.
Reference to Lyda D. Newman: Acknowledges her invention of the hairbrush—celebrates overlooked Black historical figures in beauty

3) As well as YouTube, what TV channels and networks did the advert appear on?

American channels such as: BET, OWN, HBO Max and Hulu

Social media such as: Instagram and Facebook

4) Why does the Refinery29 article suggest the advert 'doesn't feel performative'? 

The advert was created outside of Black History month which shows a year round commitment to black history. It was also made by a black female director which can be seen through the authenticity of the story telling and the history aspect of it.

5) What is the 15 per cent pledge and why is it significant?

The 15% pledge is a pledge for retailers to reserve 15% of shelf space for products sold by black owned businesses.

1) How does the advert use camerawork to communicate key messages about the brand?

It uses the camerawork to do this by using close ups of certain key aspects to emphasise their knowledge and what they’ve included in their advert to show they know what they’re saying and aren’t just doing it as a performance.

2) How is mise-en-scene used to create meanings about black beauty and culture?

Mise en scene can be seen being used through the settings: The beauty parlour which is a key aspect in everyday black culture and the regular home settings such as the bedroom/bathroom to make it feel more personal. 

It’s also using the props: the hair styling equipment which were made by black inventors to show support for those who are not recognised for their inventions.

Actors expressions: Throughout the whole advert we see multiple scenes where people are doing their routines together and smiling with eachother which shows a sense of community and love connected to black culture. 

3) How is editing used to create juxtapositions and meanings in the advert?

It uses editing such as the split screen effect to show both scenes at the same time and this is done to show how black culture has influenced todays social media trends and other people’s lifestyles. 

4) How are verbal codes used to create meanings in the advert - the voiceover and text on screen? 

 They use verbal codes to highlight historical black figures and give recognition to them as in the past people have ignored their input to the beauty industry and given credit to those who stole their ideas. 

5) What is the overall message of the advert? 

The overall message is that black beauty has had a massive impact on the beauty industry and the way people see beauty today. This is shown when the voice over says “What is beauty without black beauty?” which is emphasising this idea that black beauty has heavily influenced todays culture.

1) Look at the exam hint on the first page. How does Sephora as a brand and the CSP specifically reflect contemporary social and cultural contexts? 

The advert is used to show a different representation of black culture and give people an insight into black beauty to help move away from the Eurocentric beauty standard and bring inclusivity to the beauty industry. 

2) Media theory: how are Butler, Gauntlett, bell hooks and Gilroy applied to the CSP?

The advert embraces gender fluidity which supports Butlers claim that gender is nothing but a performance. 

Gauntlett- identity, the different representations shown to help build identity through media.

hooks- the advert challenges the idea of black beauty being marginal.

Gilroy- Advert challenges Eurocentric beauty standards and the racial hierarchy

3) What aspects of media language are highlighted on page 3 of the factsheet? 

 Mise en Scene: Settings like salons and kitchens, props like brushes and makeup, and warm lighting are used to evoke authenticity, history, and cultural pride.

Camera movement: pans,  close ups, and split screens convey intimacy, and highlight beauty tools and rituals

4) How does the factsheet summarise the advert on the final page?

The advert is focused on inclusivity and diversity which diverts from the conventional advert which would focus on the product. This is due to Sephora trying to deal with past racial controversies. 

5) What are the four ideologies in advertising highlighted in task 8 on the final page of the factsheet? In your opinion, do you feel the Sephora CSP advert challenges or reinforces each of these?  

 

Consumerism, Identity, Capitalism, Gender Fluidity. 

I believe the advert reinforces all of these 4 ideologies. Firstly, Consumerism and identity are linked in the advert by showing people express their personal identity through the use of beauty products which promotes their items and makes people think they need to buy products to help express who they are or for who they are. Then capitalism is also reinforced as Sephora themselves are a multi billion dollar company which is only possible thanks to capitalism. Finally, Gender Fluidity is also reinforced through the use of drag queens throughout the advert and promoting the idea that make up isn’t just for women.

Introduction to Postcolonialism: blog tasks

 1) Look at the first page. What is colonialism - also known as cultural imperialism? 

Colonialism is when countries take over "undiscovered lands" and claim them as their own.

2) Now look at the second page. What is postcolonialism? 

Post colonialism is the time after colonialism ended. The most popular definition in the UK is the time after India gaining independence as with India being its biggest colony, this was seen as the end of colonialism.

3) How does Paul Gilroy suggest postcolonialism influences British culture?

Gilroy believes that post-colonialism had a negative impact on British culture as people couldnt get used to not being a global superpower which led to them having a hatred towards people of different backgrounds.

4) What is 'othering'?

Othering is the idea that something is different to us due to it being different to our social norms, people considered as othered are displaced and left out of the dominant social group.

5) What examples of 'othering' are provided by the article?

The example of othering given is the othering of British immigrants from British society which was used by politicians such as Farage to gain popularity through hate.

6) What is 'double consciousness'? 

The feeling of not fitting in with either your own culture or the culture of the country you live in.

7) What are 'racial hierarchies'?

Racial hierarchies is an idea heavily established postcolonialism and is the idea that some races are better than others.

8) What examples from recent media products challenge the idea of racial hierarchies? 

In Brooklyn 99 there's an episode where one of the lead characters is racially profiled by another police officer who is white and believes he has power over him. However, he later finds out he is a detective which is higher in the police hierarchy and challenges the idea that white people are better than people of colour as he manages to get justice for what happened.