Situation: We live in a country that has a very rigid definition of beauty. In India, beauty is viewed through a very narrow prism. While there is an acceptance for 33 Million gods to express themselves through make-up, certain sections of people are not allowed the right to be and feel beautiful. Today, the right to wear make-up and look beautiful is reserved only for a select few.

Brief:

Shoppers Stop wanted to reach out to anyone & everyone interested in expressing themselves through make-up with its online make-up festival, EyeStoppers.

Objective:

The objective was to expand the definition of beauty and celebrate individuality, diversity and creativity. Everybody has a right to look beautiful, everybody has a right to express themselves.

Shoppers Stop, India’s popular beauty retail brand believes beauty should not just be inclusive but also empowering. So, it decided it was time India heard a simple message. STOP THE BIAS.

An integrated campaign was launched with the very people who took on these biases - an acid attack survivor, a speech and hearing-impaired beauty enthusiast, a drag icon and a stand-up comedian. The campaign was launched in tandem with Shoppers Stop make-up festival – EyeStoppers.

Owing to the lockdown restrictions during the ongoing pandemic, the EyeStoppers 2020 make-up festival was hosted online, with LGBTQI, acid attack victims, speech & hearing impaired and body shaming becoming the themes for the finale of the festival.

Bias is a small word but with big consequences. Subtle and conscious beauty biases often impact our perceptions and actions, creating a barrier for certain communities, excluding them from their right to look beautiful. Over the years, studies have shown how people not fitting in with the beauty standards of society are often at a disadvantage in different spheres of life. The desired outcome was to make space for diversity, inclusivity and acceptance the world of beauty and make-up.

The Stop The Bias campaign was launched on Instagram, YouTube and other Social Media platforms. The 10 day festival gathered 2,350 entries and over 123 hours of user generated content. The videos garnered more than 10million views in a span of 4 days.

Launched via the brand’s social media platforms, these digital films immediately sparked a conversation. A conversation about beauty, make-up and inclusivity. The films also grabbed the attention of the media, making the conversation even bigger, reaching more people. Today, the videos cumulatively have over 12 million views, generated 32M Impressions, a PR value of over 89M INR & the event saw over 123 hours of UGC created in just 7 days.

The campaign not just extended support to these 4 communities but also stood in solidarity through creativity in make-up as a form of self-expression, with overall sales growing by 158%.