Once again, the Advertising Standards Authority (the UK advertisement regulator) punishes a cosmetics brand that has used post-production techniques on its models in make-up commercials. After mascara and anti-wrinkles creams, foundations are now the target, as they would lead to results less perfect than creative retouching.
July 27, 2011
Today, the Advertising Standards Authority has banned two advertisements for L’Oreal group foundations, with Julia Roberts and Christy Turlington, on the grounds that their faces have been touched up.
The first ad, featuring Julia Roberts, praised a foundation (Lancôme) claimed as "a natural maker of light" meant to "recapture the aura of a perfect skin". The second one (Maybelline) featured an image of the model Christy Turlington. Parts of her face had been covered by the foundation while other areas were left uncovered to show the effects of the product. Text stated "The Eraser perfect cover foundation. Conceals instantly, visibly, precisely … Covers dark circles and fine wrinkles to help conceal crow’s 's feet, as if erased. For ultimate flawless-looking perfection".
Jo Swinson, a liberal-democrat MP, referred to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and challenged whether the ad was misleading because she believed the image had been digitally manipulated and was therefore "not representative of the results the product could achieve."
L'Oreal said the image has been digitally re-touched to "lighten the skin, clean up make-up, reduce dark shadows and shading around the eyes, smooth the lips and darken the eyebrows" of the models.
The ASA punishes …
