Ad Campaign Encouraging Positive Self-Expression

Cosmetics brand Dermablend Professional recently launched an advertising campaign on YouTube called the Camo Confession Campaign. The cosmetics industry is often slated for being superficial and encouraging women and girls to strive for the unrealistic ideal of perfection. Dermablend Professional hopes to challenge this view with the Camo Confession ad campaign. The campaign kicks off with a young model named Cassandra removing her make-up and sharing her personal story of shame and ridicule as a young teenager because of her terrible facial acne. Even though she is talking about acne, we thought the heart of the story is something that many who suffer with skin-picking disorder can relate to.

The clip is just over 2 minutes long, but it has a powerful message. For many patients, skin-picking started with the onset of acne as a teenager. Scratching and picking at the acne sets off a cycle of repetitive obsessive compulsive behaviours. Picking acne can cause permanent marks and scarring, which is a source of great embarrassment for the person, especially if it is in the face. Many skin-pickers therefore feel the need to camouflage these marks cosmetics. The teenage years can be especially traumatizing when aesthetics and appearance play such a big role in social acceptance and formation of self-identity. Dermablend Professional’s corrective cosmetics are used by people with mild to severe skin conditions. The message from the ad campaign is that the Dermablend brand is not about vanity, but about having the freedom to express oneself positively, free from ridicule, and living a normal life. This is achieved through the heartfelt testimonials two women who describe their stories of shame and embarrassment because of a skin disorder that made them the centre of much ridicule. As they speak the make-up on their faces start to disappear and they leave us with a parting message that the Dermablend’s concealing products empowers them to reveal who they truly are, because their imperfections do not become the centre of distraction.