Forcing authenticity on Madison Ave

Great news - smaller, upstart makeup companies who brand themselves authentically and in alignment with  their values are making a difference.....

CVS Health is going to ban photo manipulation in its store-brand makeup marketing and promotional displays.  Other makeup and beauty brands that sell products in its stores will also have to commit to a photo-manipulation ban by 2020 or have an alert label placed on their images.

CVS Pharmacy President Helena Foulkes, made the official announcement at the National Retail Federation's convention in New York, and said the decision reflects an acknowledgment that "unrealistic body images" are "a significant driver of health issues," especially among women.

This all sounds very honorable, but it's just a response to the fact that makeup sales have been weak for CVS. They are being challenged by makeup brands that tout natural ingredients and more natural imagery— brands that show more authenticity in a world overwhelmed by false imagery.

Foulkes admitted that, "Partly, we were reflecting on why are these indie brands are doing so well."

Sephora was apparently the first, back in 2011. 

If you ask me, I think the reason they are doing so well is that they are not anchoring their marketing in shame. And I think more of us will end up coming home with something that actually gives us the result we were hoping for.

CVS is very influential in the beauty market because it has about 10,000 stores around the USA. And about 80% of CVS customers are women. So this could have a significant effect.

Hooray to less shame!

A classic example of ridiculous image alteration. Click on the image to read about it.