Increase In The Use Of Fairness Products Media Essay

 In today’s time, you can hardly watch TV for an hour without coming across at least one advertisement about a product that promises to make you fair. Are these advertisements with their fancy and magical claims of getting fair, the sole reason, for the growing obsession? This research includes a qualitative survey analysis of 60 people between the age group of 18-35 years living in Mumbai.

It also covers whether these advertisements are simply catering to a need that already exists in the society or not. Various aspects and new perspectives are emerging to reason this obsession. Whether it is the advertisement that goes with the byline ‘the more fair you are, more are your chances of getting successful’ or by fancying the glamorous and attractive face of the model in the advertisement or finding traces by going far in our history when fair-skinned English were ruling us and we looked up to them. The reasons are multiple but in today’s evolving generation, television commercial advertisements promote fair complexion in a much broader fashion. This research covers not only the impact of these advertisements on the audience but also some different perspectives of audience.

Introduction

Problem: Is success a by-product of fairness and good looks?

Objective: To find out whether advertisements are responsible for the increase in the use of Fairness products.

Null Hypothesis: In Indian society, obsession to fairer skin tone is not the result of an advertising gimmick.

Alternate Hypothesis: In Indian society, obsession to fairer skin tone is the result of an advertising gimmick.

Television Advertising:

Advertisements of various products and services using television as the medium are called Television Advertisements. Television Advertising examines the relationship of advertising to cultural identity by exploring how advertisements are a reflection of the society? How varying images and ideas are conveyed by advertisements within a specific context? Evolving communication techniques and how they ensure the successful transmission of messages are addressed throughout?

Television Advertising is a medium of communication that reflects, interprets and influences society. It is influenced by its own recognizable and identifiable norms. While the techniques employed are determined to some extent by the product or service to be promoted, they are also influenced by the nature of the medium and by the context in which the transmission takes place.

Obsession with fair skin in Indian society:

Anup Dhir, senior cosmetic surgeon at New Delhi’s Apollo Hospital, says obsession with fair skin has something to do with the British colonial era. “Indians are usually obsessed with fair skin as they acquired this legacy from the British era. As our rulers were fair skinned, we also run after fair complexion,” Dhir said.

According to experts, a fair skinned person is considered attractive regardless of whether that person has a symmetrical face or a healthy figure. People are generally obsessed with attributes they admire but do not possess. Markets too are loaded with fairness creams that promise to turn your complexion fair. It can definitely be agreed upon that the craze for fair skin has been aggressively marketed. 

Over the years many Indians have been programmed to equate fair skin with beauty, success and happiness. This craze for white skin has been aggressively marketed. In advertisements, it is always shown that in order to be successful, liked and approved by others, one needs to have fair skin. Looking for a slim, homely and fair girl for our son” – that is usually how most matrimonial ads read, the stress being on the word “fair”. Many say it is proof of our obsession with a person’s skin colour. 

In India, the idea of beauty is often associated with fairness. Fairness creams abound in the market, and advertisements glorify fair skin. An analysis of television advertisements of fairness products shows how they connect fairness with achieving other personal goals, such as marriage, success, empowerment, job opportunities, and confidence. Focus-group interviews with Indian women reveal that most agree that an obsession with fairness and its projected attributes continues to prevail despite an awareness that beauty is a more personal and complex concept. Many believe the connection between beauty and fair skin arises from age-old historical beliefs that are now perpetuated in advertisements for fairness creams.

Though these women do not personally rate fairness as a predominant indicator of beauty, they are aware of the culturally determined advantages of being fair and have themselves made efforts to look fair.

Indian man’s growing fascination with fairer skin:

Tall and dark are not likely to be deemed handsome, going by the current trends, even though India has always worshipped dark gods. 

The metro sexual look is getting preference – and that means men are chasing fairness creams and chemical peels, thanks to the advertising playing a crucial role in promoting them. Commenting on the Indian man’s growing fascination for fair skin, Anup Dhir says: “I get around 8-19 inquiries every month from men to improve their skin tone and help them look fairer.”

Ever since the macho look was replaced by the metro sexual look, men have started taking a greater interest in their appearance. From visiting parlours for manicures and pedicures to spas, they are concentrating on every aspect of grooming. Various cosmetic brands have launched fairness creams for men. These creams have caught up like a craze owing to the brand ambassadors these creams pick up; the John Abrahams and the Shahid Kapoors. 

In 2005, Emami was perhaps the first one to launch the men’s fairness cream Fair & Handsome. Two years later, the company roped in superstar Shah Rukh Khan as its brand ambassador. This was followed by HUL’s Fair & Lovely Menz Active that came in 2006 and the Nivea for Men Whitening Moisturizer and Nivea for Men Multi-White Whitening Facial Foam. The same year actor Anuj Saxena’s company Elder HealthCare came out with Fair One Man Cream. In 2009 cosmetics giants Garnier entered men’s skin care with the Men’s Powerlight range that also includes face wash and moisturizer.

Research design:

Problem Statement:

Is success a by-product of fairness and good looks?

Research questions:

Q1. Do you or any person whom you know has used a Fairness product?

Q2. What is the reason according to you for a person to use a Fairness product?

Q3. Has there been any change in the natural complexion of the people who have used a Fairness product?

Q4. If it weren’t for the advertisements, would you still have bought a Fairness product?

Q5. Do you think that Indians are particularly obsessed with fair skin tone?

Q6. Do you go with the by-line that success is a by-product of fairer skin tone? (The fairer you are, the better are your chances of being successful.)

Q7. In fairness cream advertisements, people who have a fairer skin tone are given more importance at work place. Do you think this is applicable in the glamour world?

Q8. Nowadays, fairness creams for men are also available in the market. Do you see men buying and using these products?

Hypothesis:

Null Hypothesis: In Indian society, obsession to fairer skin tone is not the result of an advertising gimmick.

Alternate Hypothesis: In Indian society, obsession to fairer skin tone is the result of an advertising gimmick.

Objective: To find out whether advertisements are responsible for the increase in the use of Fairness products.

Methodology

The methodology adopted for the research is qualitative. In this case, the motive was to gather qualitative data and represent a defined population but the only limitation is the sample size.

Method

The method used for the research is by means of a questionnaire survey. This helped in obtaining information and opinions. The survey method was used as the preferred choice, to study the sample population and to know and understand their reasons, choices, and knowledge and current trends. The survey was conducted on 60 people, who were between the age group of 18-35 years of age. This age group was selected so as to pick people who are more likely to use Fairness products and are likely to observe people around them using these products. This was adopted to get a fair picture of the samples. Their professional details ranged from being students, professionals, teachers to housewives. Therefore, the sampling frame of the research includes young students, professionals and housewives living in Mumbai.

Findings and Analysis:

The data findings and analysis are based on the results and calculations of the questionnaire, which was conducted through a survey method. The survey was done on 60 respondents who were between the age group of 18 to 35 years and at a probable marriageable age.

The first question of the survey is a helpful question to know the percentage of people using a Fairness product. After completing the survey, the result showed 49 respondents chose the ‘YES’ option, whereas remaining 8 and 3 went for the ‘NO’ and ‘DON’T KNOW’ option respectively. So, 82% of the people said yes, they have used a Fairness product or know a few who do. This question was asked to recognize the overall popularity of these creams and products amongst the samples.

The second question is an open-ended question, where the respondents have been asked what according to them, are the grounds behind a person in buying a Fairness product. The answers obtained were pretty much the same and explaining similar reasons. To go by the norms of societal pressures, low self-esteem, to overcome the inferiority complex etc. are some of the reasons which are imposed by our society on ‘dusky’ complexioned men and women. The root of the problem is pretty much psychological. There can be many more reasons and motives behind a person to buy a Fairness product.

Do these products bring about a drastic change in the real complexion of their users? This question directly questions the quality and the effectiveness of the company manufacturing these products. The result showed that 85% of the people said ‘No’ and just 15% of the people said ‘Yes’. This clearly indicates that even though advertisers come with fancy and out of the world images and outcome for their creams and lotions, but in reality it hardly has any effect on the skin. But the point that must be realized is that there are still a good 82% of the people who still use these products, as per the first question. It shows the contradicting nature of the people.

Advertisements play a major role in attracting the viewers to buy the products. This statement was supported by the next question of the survey that is: If it weren’t for the advertisements, would you still have bought a Fairness product? 53% of the people chose ‘No’ as their option. ‘Yes’, ‘Maybe’ and ‘Don’t know’ received 2%, 28% and 17% respectively. This concludes that Advertisements are indeed responsible to create an urge in people to buy these products. But 28% of the people have voted for ‘Maybe’ as well, which shows that they don’t actually avoid using these products completely.

“Do you think that Indians are particularly obsessed with fair skin tone?” For this question, 95% of the people that is 57 out of 60 people opted for the ‘Yes’ option saying that Indians are obsessed with the fair skin tone. This result gives rise to deep thoughts about our society and psyche as to why the obsession is at such a great level? The reasons are multiple and diverse tracing their roots from our history.

The next question was “Do you go with the by-line that success is a by-product of fairer skin tone?” The more fair you are, more are your chances of getting successful. This is a concept which is very strongly endorsed and marketed in the advertisements of Fairness creams. In these advertisements, they show that women who have a fairer skin tone gain an upper hand at their work place and attract the opposite gender by their looks. They try to promote that ‘good looks’ is equated with ‘fair skin’. For this question most number of people went for the ‘Strongly Disagree’ option with 54% and ‘Disagree’ option with a good 30%.

The result is very tricky and can be analyzed as even when most no. of percent went for the ‘Strongly Disagree’ option, the next highest votes was for ‘Disagree’. It proves that even though people do not believe in this byline, there are some people who are not sure about the level of disagreement, which indicates that some where they do feel this byline is practiced at the work place. So, here the advertisements are just following what masses think and observe in their society.

“In fairness cream advertisements, people who have a fairer skin tone are given more importance at work place. Do you think this is applicable in the glamour world?” 67% of the respondents chose the ‘Yes’ option and 33% chose ‘No’. This question gives you an idea as to whom do the masses want to see on television. It can be explained that everyone simply wants to see a pretty and an attractive face on the ramp or on the television. This is the reason why 67% of people went for the ‘Yes’ option.

“Nowadays, fairness creams for men are also available in the market. Do you see men buying and using these products?” Surprisingly, 44% of the people said ‘Few’ and 35% said ‘Yes’. This rise in the use of these products is again a result of the advertising gimmick. With big names such as Shah Rukh Khan endorsing one of the creams for men, it is certain that the popularity of such creams would increase.

Graphical Representation

Q1. Do you or any person whom you know has used a Fairness product?

Q2. What is the reason according to you for a person to use a Fairness product?

Open-ended question, hence no graph.

Q3. Has there been any change in the natural complexion of the people who have used a Fairness product?

Q4. If it weren’t for the advertisements, would you still have bought a Fairness product?

Q5. Do you think that Indians are particularly obsessed with fair skin tone?

Q6. Do you go with the by-line that success is a by-product of fairer skin tone? (The fairer you are, the better are your chances of being successful.)

Q7. In fairness cream advertisements, people who have a fairer skin tone are given more importance at work place. Do you think this is applicable in the glamour world?

Q8. Nowadays, fairness creams for men are also available in the market. Do you see men buying and using these products?

Conclusion:

After the research, the topic as a whole opens a window for a lot of issues, views, aspects and perspectives of the topic in question. The sampling frame of the research includes young students, professionals and home-makers living in Mumbai. The universe of the sample is young population living in Mumbai, in the age group of 18 yrs to 35 years of age residing in the areas of Andheri and Vile Parle. The sample size of the research is 60.

Analyzing the findings and results of the survey, the alternate hypothesis, i.e., In Indian society, obsession to fairer skin tone is the result of an advertising gimmick is verified. But during the survey, I came across many aspects and norms of the Indian society which are age old and baseless, but are forced upon the people and therefore spreading in the society. Analyzing the result of question 5 of the survey, one of the reasons is because Indians were ruled by the fair-skinned English for almost two centuries; they were looked upon as illiterate and backward. Fairness was equated with superiority in that era. The only difference at present is that fairness is equated with ‘good looks’. The results and findings show that the concept has come up majorly due to the Advertisements and their gimmicks.

From question 4 of the survey it is proved that Advertisements do play a major role in attracting the viewers. In these advertisements, the advertisers target the core sensibilities of dusky complexioned women, giving them a sight of a virtual world, where women who have a fair skin tone are blessed with success and unconditional love instantly, which is not true in real world. Just the sight of being fair and successful and men going down on their knees to have your attention makes them fancy the virtual world that never exists.

Increasing popularity for fairness creams, among men is one of the current and the freshest evidence to conclude that the obsession with fair skin tone in Indian society is a result of an advertising gimmick.

Any product or service which is endorsed by huge celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, John Abraham and Shahid Kapoor, is likely to increase the sales and popularity of the product. The credit for this again goes to the advertisers and their gimmicks to bring about this increase in the usage of these products amongst men.

In the end, the problem of the research, that whether success is a byproduct of fairness and good looks, advertising again can be held majorly responsible for changing the equation. Earlier, fairness was equated with high position in class & society in terms of money and power but now it is equated with success and being successful. Even though the obsession and need to acquire fair skin tone is increasing and always been a part of the society, advertisements are majorly responsible for their growth.