Fair And Lovely To Glow And Lovely
- Rania Bakhtiari
- Jun 22, 2023
- 1 min read
In 2020, the famous whitening cream's name was changed from Fair and Lovely to Glow and Lovely due to facing massive criticism as their advertisements perpetuated racial discrimination and colorism. For years and years, these advertisements have consistently been seen tying the woman's self-worth to merely her appearance and skin color.
Throughout the years, we see that such advertisements have contributed towards stereotyping women in terms of associating their growth with their appearance and specifically in this one where a compliment from her boss is seen to be glorified.
The usage of dialogues such as "Bilqul be-daagh" "chamakdaar", referring to natural skin discoloration as "dhabbe" and comparing a woman's skin to diamonds, sets manufactured beauty standards and contributing towards constant objectification and reducing them to a mere well-polished ornament.
After facing significant backlash, Fair and Lovely launched their anthem featuring women from all over Pakistan, successful in various fields, ensuring the representation of women of all colors. The advertisements feature personalities such as Pakistan woman's football team captain Hajra Khan and is an attempt to empower women to embrace their identity and enter into the world courageously in order to achieve all of their aspirations and goals, even if that means struggling against the odds.
The question arises that after demeaning women throughout these years to merely their skin color and a man's approval, have they finally "paved their way for revolutionizing beauty standards" through their rebranding? Can ideas about skin color that have been maintained and reinforced for centuries be altered by a name change?
I'm glad you raised awareness on this matter. Glow and lovely's previous branding as fair and lovely does indeed seem to be the marketing team aiming to maximize profits regardless of the stereotypes they are reinforcing, and it did provide them great profitability until this backlash arose. I don't think we can say for certain if Glow and Lovely is attempting this rebrand completely to end the backlash or if they truly felt remorseful about reinforcing stereotypes but it will be unfortunate if a brand with such popularity goes down the same route in the future in the name of profits.
I really appreciate the questions you've raised at the end of the blog. In my opinion, I think they've done so much generational damage that their half-hearted attempts to overthrow it are futile. Even their new anthem and rebranding to Glow & Lovely does not take away from their initial concept - it still reiterates that skin "problems" women have are flaws and they need to "glow" (Let's be honest, they still mean fair in place of glow) to be "lovely". They also have never acknowledged ingredient changes in their products that assure the consumer that skin brightening agents have been taken out of the product itself - which means that the rebranding was done simply at face value. However,…
I completely agree with your ideas. i feel that it is crucial for consumers to continue demanding more from brands and rejecting products that perpetuate harmful beauty standards. By supporting brands that embrace diversity and promote positive self-image, we can collectively contribute to the gradual transformation of societal perceptions about beauty.
Ultimately, dismantling long-held ideas about skin color and beauty requires a multifaceted approach that includes education, awareness, representation, and challenging discriminatory practices. While a name change is a step forward, it is just the beginning of a larger journey toward a more inclusive and accepting society.
Thank you for shedding light on this issue and emphasizing the need for sustained efforts to redefine beauty standards and empower women to…
A very concerning blog! It is crucial to address the harmful impact of beauty standards that perpetuate colourism and objectify women based on their appearance. The rebranding effort by Fair and Lovely, featuring diverse women from different fields, is indeed a step towards empowering women and challenging conventional beauty norms. It sends a message of inclusivity and encourages women to embrace their unique identities and pursue their aspirations without being constrained by societal expectations.
However, it's important to recognize that a name change alone might not be sufficient to revolutionize deeply ingrained beauty standards. True change requires a comprehensive shift in the messaging, values, and actions of the brand. The underlying philosophy of equating fairness with success and self-worth needs…
Great post! You raise an interesting question at the end: "can ideas about skin color that have been maintained and reinforced for centuries be altered by a name change?"
I think that while a name change such as this one is arguably another example of virtue signaling that might make a viewer roll their eyes, it shouldn't be completely dismisses. A shift in branding and messaging does indicate some level of recognition and acknowledgement of the problematic aspects of the previous name.
However, at the end of the day the product is... a skin-lightening cream. Changing the name doesn't change the purpose of the cream; the product inherently promotes colorism.
The solution that would be a step towards getting rid…