BOSS LIFE

Advertising: Maybelline case study and wider reading 

Our second Advertising and Marketing CSP is the 2017 Maybelline 'That Boss Life Pt 1' mascara video advert.

This gives us an opportunity to explore the idea of gender fluidityin society and the media - plus compare the changing representation of masculinity in advertising. Notes from the lesson are here:

Gender fluidity

Gender fluidity is when gender expression shifts between masculine and feminine. Indeed, gender identity has become a major media and social issue in the last 10 years.

Young (and some older) people are increasingly identifying as gender fluid – and some have credited the internet for this change. They suggest that millennials grew up with the internet so can easily find information on topics like gender expression.

You can read more on this view and gender fluidity in this CNN article here.

Maybelline 'That Boss Life Pt 1'

The Maybelline ‘That Boss Life’ advert is part of a digital campaign for their ‘Big Shot Mascara’ product.

The campaign is significant as it is the first time Maybelline has used a male brand ambassador and digital influencers. The use of YouTube stars Manny Gutierrezand Shayla Mitchellmeans the brand can reach their combined 5.1 million Instagram followers and 2.5 million YouTube subscribers.

In addition, Gutierrez (‘MannyMua’) is Mexican-Spanish-American and openly gay, offering a very different representation of masculinity and sexuality to the 1967 Score hair cream advert.

Blog task: Maybelline 'That Boss Life' case study and wider reading

Work through the following tasks to make sure you're an expert on the Maybelline CSP and particularly the wider social and cultural context.

'That Boss Life' close textual analysis

Use your notes from class to write about the connotations and representations created by the following technical and audio codes. Write at least a paragraph on each:
1) Narrative & genre: narrative theory and sub-genre

The YouTuber's are the 'Proppian heroes' that save the day in the part 2, allowing the girl to get into the club- the producer has used the audience inadequacy to sell their product. The girl wouldn't have been able to get into the club without this exclusive mascara.The bellboy is the 'donor' that provides the tool (mascara) that allows them to enter this glamorous and expensive life. Barthes enigma/action codes can be applied here as when they open the suitcase it glows and their faces light up (literally) showing a joyous expression. The contents aren't shown immediately to the audience which entices them even more. 

2) Cinematography: camera shots and movement
There are lots of extreme close ups of eyes to show the main purpose of the mascara and it's effect. The slight satisfaction of the eyes suggests how important they are to a persons appearance. There are constant slow-mo scenes of the mascara application and the opening of the bottle which glamorizes it and forces the audience to focus their attention on how luxurious the product is meant to be.In terms of the setting, the New York skyline is focused on briefly between every few scenes to associate the the mascara with the rich, New York model lifestyle.

The camera is panning around when the You Tubers clothes change from applying the mascara which suggests that the mascara can transform you life into a glamorous and spectacular one. It over exaggerates the product 

3) Mise-en-scene: costume & props
The gold flashing lights show glamour and have connotations of fame- for example when the suitcase is brought in the audiences attention is focused on the more expensive looking bag among the rest of them. This has the effect of curiosity and the audience then wonders why it is so much more flashy. With the mascara being the answer, the audience have to assume that the mascara makes things look more expensive. This is reiterated when their costumes change automatically when they wear the mascara to more high end clothing- covered in gold jewelry. 

4) Mise-en-scene: actors, setting, lighting and colour
Young, progressive millennial actors are used to maybe suggest that this product is new and revolutionary- for the young. They reflect their target audience, by using YouTube slang and terminology. Also, Manny (MannyMua) is an openly gay man using mascara and other make up products. This has become easier to do over the years as more and more males have become ambassadors for other make up brands (Hinash For MAC, Bretman Rock for Morphe) which allows more regular boys that aren't famous to join the make up trend. The lighting changes with the part 2; they are in a darker night time setting which makes the gold packaging even more vivid. They associate the mascara with wealth and being superior- it gets them into the club just because they have it. 

5) Editing: pace, transitions and visual effects
The editing is slow when dealing with the mascara, perhaps to create anticipation as to what luxury they're going to have next. For example, when they throw the mascara in the air it resembles the action of throwing money in the air, leaving the audience to assume the product makes you look rich.

6) Graphics: text/graphics on screen
The logo is in the corner at all times to remind the audience of their brand. 'Boss Life' is shown of screen repeatedly, creating synergy between the lifestyle they're showing  and the mascara they are using, using hashtags for free promotion so that the audience can use it and feel like they fit the part that they are witnessing. 


7) Sound: dialogue, music and sound effects
The producers have used upbeat EDM to match the pace of the editing and the lifestyle to make it seem like their lives are like a party. It almost sounds like the typical music that Youtube makeup artists use while doing tutorials- this makes the advert seem more familiar since this is a Youtube advert. The dialogue they use can be seen as 'Youtuber culture'- for example when Manny said 'Girl, this is everything!'. They are clearly trying to represent the target audience as the people who watch MannyMua or MakeupShayla are going to be the type of people to use that kind of slang. 

Maybelline 'That Boss Life': wider reading

Read the following articles on this campaign:

Glamour: Manny Gutierrez Is the First Man to Star in a Maybelline Campaign, and Its a Huge Deal
Your Story: Cosmetics giant breaks gender stereotypes by choosing male model as a face of the brand
Adweek: Maybelline Recruits Manny Gutierrez as Its First Male Beauty Star

Complete the following questions/tasks:1) Why was this campaign such a landmark for beauty product advertising?


MannyMua was the first male model to be used on a Maybelline advert.

2) What do the articles suggest regarding the changing representation of sexuality and masculinity?


It is suggested that males are becoming more accepted into the beauty industry and that Manny in particular has made it more of a norm.

3) Read this WWD article: Maybelline Taps Digital Makeup Influencers for New Mascara Campaign. Why might 'digital influencers' be so attractive to companies?


They have around 2-3 million Youtube subscribers (in this case) and therefore there is a guaranteed viewing of the advert itself. Also, because the viewers are loyal and have a personal relationship with the YouTuber, they are likely to buy the product just because they said so.

4) Why do you think Maybelline chose to use MannyMua and MakeUpShayla in particular?


MannyMua is an openly gay man that has had a huge impact on the make up industry, having done ads o his channel for other brands prior to this one. Lack of diversity has become an issue that has become more and more spoken about in recent years, and how demographics other than white women have been under represented in the make up industry. For this reason, they might have chosen MakeupShayla not only because she has talent and a huge following, but they felt that they needed to widen their racial diversity in the brnad. Since then they have also come out with new darker shades to their concealer and foundation lines, which before were only able to be bought and used by white people.

5) What does the WWD article suggest is the crucial factor for brands regardless of whether they use influence's or more traditional celebrities?


It is very important that the celebrities have a big following or fan base and that they are immediately recognizable
Media Magazine: The Changing Face of Masculinity

Now go to our Media Magazine archiveand read the feature 'The Changing Face of Masculinity' in MM63 (page

1) What message does the article suggest the Score hair cream advert is trying to communicate to the 1967 audience? 

- The ‘Score’ ad uses a large image of a grinning man dressed like a hunter with a rifle nestled in the crook of his arm. He is held aloft on a tiger-skin platform by five women dressed in sexualised hunting costume: short skirts, tied-up shirts and ammunition belts. Four women look up at him adoringly (one reaches out longingly) while the fifth, with a sultry expression, looks directly at the consumer. The advert is using female sexuality to show men they can have power: you can conquer, you will be desired.

2) How does the article suggest the Score hair cream advert uses narrative to sell the product?

A print ad by Bristol Myers Co. dating back to 1967 for its ‘Score Liquid Hair Groom’ product is a great place to start when discussing the representation of masculinity in advertising. In the 1960s, print advertisements tended to rely more on photography than illustration to achieve a more realistic look. The ‘Score’ ad uses a large image of a grinning man dressed like a hunter with a rifle nestled in the crook of his arm. He is held aloft on a tiger-skin platform by five women dressed in sexualised hunting costume: short skirts, tied-up shirts and ammunition belts. Four women look up at him adoringly (one reaches out longingly) while the fifth, with a sultry expression, looks directly at the consumer. The advert is using female sexuality to show men they can have power: you can conquer, you will be desired.

3) What 1967 stereotypes does the article suggest the Score hair cream advert reinforces?

A particular stereotype that's reinforced in this advert would be that women are inferior to men and are there for the purpose of serving them. We can see this because of the derogatory way that they are dressed and the fact that they are literally treating the man like royalty by carrying him.

4) Applying Stuart Hall's reception theory, what does the article suggest the preferred and oppositional readings could be for the Score hair cream advert?

In terms of Hall's reception theory, the producers of the score hair cream advert might have wanted the preferred reading to be that the hair cream makes you masculine and successful as a male- a good hunter, sexually dominant, strong, etc. However, the oppositional reading is that males couldn't possibly want anything other than the absolute extremes of masculinity (suggested by their slogan 'get what you've always wanted') which we can only assume is an indirect attack at homosexual men of that era.

5) Moving on to the Maybelline advert, why is the background of Manny Gutierrez and Shayla Mitchell significant?

With Manny being an openly gay man, not dressing in drag or identifying as androgynous or trans, this is significant because men who identify as male are being welcomed into the make up industry. He is 'wearing make up as a man, and says he is 'not performing as a woman'. Shayla is a black women who isn't a size 4-8 she is a plus size - girls of this demographic are severely underrepresented in the beauty industry as they prefer the look of white and underweight models rather than real-looking women. 

6) What is the narrative of the Maybelline advert?


- The advertisement tells the story of two YouTubers, Manny Gutierrez and Shayla Mitchell checking into a New York hotel room with stunning views of the city. They open up a gold, glittery suitcase and out tumbles the product that everyone wants, the ‘Big Shot’ mascara. By simply applying the mascara, the wearer – female or male – is instantly transported to a more sophisticated cosmopolitan life surrounded by the finer things: a Manhattan hotel room, glamorous clothes and the promise of admission to the hottest clubs in the world’s greatest city.

7) What does the article suggest the Maybelline advert's message is?

- The article suggests that the adverts message is that putting on maybelline mascara can transform you into a glamorous and breath taking lifestyle.

8) The final section of the article focuses on masculinity. What do the Score advert and the Maybelline advert suggest regarding the changes in society and media between 1967 and 2017?

The Score advert suggested that the masculinity in society was regarded as much higher than it is now. It is was important that men had those characteristics as the man in the advert. The differences between the two advertisements is that ‘Score’ is celebrating everything believed to be great about a patriarchal society, while Maybelline is applauding the breakdown of hyper-masculine culture.