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The Best Beauty Ads EVER.

3 October, 2016 - 09:39pm by - First Lady | 17 Comments

By BR Kellie

Every day we are exposed to hundreds upon hundreds, even thousands of advertisements. From brand labels, to radio commercials, to ads on bus shelters, to product placement in the movies we watch, everywhere we turn someone is trying to sell us something. It can be tough to stand out, and in recent years we see people going to extremes to make their product that much more interesting, that much more desirable, that much more extra.

Even the beauty industry is no stranger to creating interesting and catchy advertisements. Most recently this particular ad – or as it’s being called, a music video for Kenzo World has caught our eye.

Directed and written by the incredibly talented Spike Jonze, KENZO World features actress Margaret Qualley pulling out some amazing and sometimes vaguely terrifying shapes and facials to a song called “Mutant Brain” by Sam Spiegel and Ape Drums and featuring Assassin. Does it show you the perfume? Yeah, not so much. But according to Kenzo’s artistic directors it’s more representative of today’s Kenzo girl, a girl who isn’t nostalgic, likes movement and speed and stands out from the crowd. Take a look and judge for yourself.

Kenzo’s music video caused a bit of nostalgia in the Beauty Review office, as we got to thinking about our favourite beauty ads, which we then tracked them down for you to watch.

First up, this was one of the first jingles to stick in this Pixie’s brain. I wanted to be a Wella Woman, with my hair all bouncy and shiny and pretty, and fun, and suitably angry when I got a run in my pantyhose. But then Pantene came along at the time I could afford to buy my own shampoo and conditioner, and Rach won me over. Sorry, Wella… but I still know how to sing your jingle!

 

Dove’s Real Beauty campaigns are wonderful things to watch. Even the most cynical of people who would say they’re only taking their stance to sell products (which, yes, because it’s a business, but still…) would surely agree it’s good to see a beauty company using women we’d pass on the street and relate to, to promote their brand, rather than a gorgeous model who’s probably been photoshopped to within an inch of her life in order to promote some unattainable beauty ideal. Our favourite? The Real Beauty Sketches campaign. Seeing women describe themselves to a sketch artist, then comparing those pictures to the pictures of how other saw them, and coming to the realisation they’re more beautiful than they realise is a tear jerker. Heck, I’m all damp cheeked after rewatching it just now.

 

Covergirl has long had amazing spokeswomen, ranging from Christie and Tyra, to Drew and Zooey, to Queen Latifah, Pink and Zendaya, but our favourite? Well she might have been more whoopsydaisy than easy breezy, but she sure was beautiful. Ellen Degeneres, come on down!!

 

It was a three-minute film that it also said to be the most expensive ad ever made. With a budget of US$42 million, it was directed by Baz Luhrmann and starred Nicole Kidman and Rodrigo Santoro. A film about a love affair that if anything only enforces our love affair with Chanel. Elegant, fun, alluring, No. 5 The Film is one of those advertisements that once seen is hard to forget. (Although we’d quite like to forget the sequel…)

Never has Old Spice looked so good. Never have we laughed so much. Never have we thought a man stating he was riding on a horse was so darn hilarious. Previously Old Spice was the domain of our dads, this advertising campaign brought its sexy back.

 

Of course if we could be so bold as to have one uber favourite ad campaign of all time, it would be ours. Have you checked out the Beauty Pixies in action?

 

So do tell… which beauty campaigns have stayed with you over the ages? What are your favourites, and why? Chat away…

 

 

 

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Comments

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1st June, 2017

I remember the Wella ads so well. I don't remember the Chanel ad but I love Chanel no 5!

1st June, 2017

That was definitely unexpected. Perfume ads are normally so classic and elegant. I'm a huge contemporary dance fan and that dress was stunning but this caught my eye for all the wrong reasons.

I prefer Chanel advertisements and I know Rolex did and amazing ad featuring horses once that still lingers with me.

30th May, 2017

Wow, that Kenzo ad is different to every other perfume ad in existence!

21st October, 2016

Cleopatra soap ad - seeing all that white creamy bath water and then "Cleopatra" putting the soap on the little boat to float away *SIGGGHHHH*.

The Kenzo ad threw me off guard, I wasn't expecting all that movement but boy did I love when she zapped the walls with her fingertips haha.

10th October, 2016

Yes the Chanel! That was iconic.

9th October, 2016

A recent thing i saw on facebook is that so many magazines are actually mostly advertising and tryibg to make us feel like there is stuff wrong with us annd as t of the readers are older women yet they do not feature that age group in their advertising of beauty n fashion wish i had more body confidence when i was younger

6th October, 2016

I love Ellen! Such a good spokeswoman. That Keno ad! Man oh man! So weird but so creatively awesome!

5th October, 2016

I think the ad for the Hello Flo Period Starter Kit was a stand out. The First Moon Party was the video. I remember it really well because well, who throws that kind of party.

5th October, 2016

Adds are not my favourite thing and I do not bother watching most of the time however although I always hated old spice on men the add above MMM !!

4th October, 2016

In my mind the best beauty add is the Dove one using real women of all shapes and sizes. We are not all size 8 and 10 and adds like the Dove ones is real.

4th October, 2016

Wow that Kenzo ad was something else... Reminded me of the Sia video clips with that girl that dances!

4th October, 2016

I alway remember the Chanel ones, Covergirl ones and the Maybelline ones. I also like the best beauty box one because I think that is quite a memorable one.

4th October, 2016

Old spice! I've watched so many of those on youtube. I remember seeing a really cool one with Cara devligne and Pharrel but can't remember what it was for.

4th October, 2016

The thing that bugs me with that Kenzo ad is her shoes ... she's wearing kitten heels until 3:23 when she's suddenly in flats and then back into kitten heels for the flying scene at the end. It just stood out like a sore thumb for me!

4th October, 2016

Old Spice hahaha brings back memories and can't believe it's still around :) The old KFC ad with Hugo and Holly has stuck in my mind over the years hehe (I know it's not beauty related) :)

RamblingRose
4th October, 2016

Was it the Chanel short film "Reincarnation"?

Charmmy-Kitty
5th October, 2016

YES! Thank you Ive been trying to remember it. The costumes were amazing!

Julieal
5th October, 2016

That is a really good point we are all different and I for one can't measure up to the models and stars

tannygirl
5th October, 2016

Alright not exactly a beauty campaign but stuff ladies use.

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