I know that marketing in schools is nothing new, but a program in Australia is taking things to a new level. A program called Fashion Roll Call, which is sponsored in part by makeup brand NP Set Cosmetics, is touring all-girl schools around the country. Their goal is to educate girls in fashion and beauty industry careers by presenting a "lunch-time fashion parade" followed by makeup application tutorials taught by makeup artists who work for NP Set.
When I was 13, I probably would have been excited for this, since it means no class and playing with stuff my parents wouldn't let me wear. But as an adult, I have mixed feelings. The cosmetics brand is getting choice branding access to kids in exchange for a few makeup tips. And since this program is being billed as educational, and intended to teach children about the fashion and beauty industries, why no boys or coed schools? There are tons of men in the fashion and beauty industries, and their absence suggests that the informational element here is a thin veneer to make aggressive marketing more palatable. What do you think?
Rick Owens
Princesse Tam-Tam
Antik Batik
Since it's only at all-girls schools, it looks like a type of Career Fair context. Now if it's all about how to put blusher and do your nails, what a waste. If they emphasize the labor and intensity of the industry maybe the program will work. Otherwise all the superficial need to wait until the young women get older. I hope the participating schools recruit a variety of "career" path demonstrators. What a way to perpetuate the stereotypes.
1i agree about the gender stereotypes, when so many makeup artists are actually men. i wonder if they teach them to self-apply make up or to apply on others
2I think it's a marketing move, too.
3I think it's ridiculous. I love my makeup and at that age would have loved a class to learn all about it but really is it that important to teach in school, I don't think so.
Maybe as an after school activity would be more appropriate and make it available to any student interested.
4I really don't like this. It's conditioning girls to believe that they have to wear make-up, just because they're a girl.
5As an Australian I think that this should be taught in every school (How many eyeliner disasters could have been avoided?), but it shouldn't just focus on the makeup application, it should also include info on how the industry is run.
6I think the way it's currently being done is more marketing ploy than anything - how many people become lifelong customers of the beauty products they love? (Think our parent's generation and Maybelline Great Lash mascara) This is a very clever marketing ploy.
Biarose - I agree, this sends the message that all girls need to wear makeup and cleverly hints at the brand to choose.
If the goal was to go beyond the application of makeup and teach about the fashion industry, then they should be teaching at all schools. The fashion industry involves more than just makeup artists, or clothing designers. What about the great fashion photographers such as Annie Lebowitz, Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, and Helmut Newton? The editors and writers at the fashion magazines? If they were showing the broad range of professions involved within the fashion industry (which employ both men and women), then I would believe it was educational versus just brand marketing.
7I'm Australian and I went to one of these at my school, a few years ago. The lady was very rude and jugemental. She told one girl that her hair needed product and all the girls in my year were really horrified by her.
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