The Deviation Game: Can Deviation from Standard Beauty Become Appealing? An Age Perspective

Abstract

Objective: This article aims to qualitatively explore the possibilities of amplifying the female representations in advertising and other types of marketing communication that embraces mature women by the beauty industry. Method: We interviewed women who are 40 years old and older, and leaders from multinational and Brazilian beauty companies. We also ran a survey experiment testing the persuasiveness of a fashion ad. Main results: Consumers are persuaded by ads displaying mature women, but the industry representatives are skeptical about the commercial appeal of these images. Contributions: The usual communication and marketing practices from leader companies are not grounded by the logic of value co-creation. These companies seem not to be consumer-oriented as a prominent practice. Relevance/Originality: Beauty standards and communication and marketing content should be understood from a social and political configuration that belongs to the organizational field from the contemporary fashion and cosmetic industries. Marketing practices are oriented by power and prestige relations, and by values and norms that are shared within this field. Managerial Implications: It is possible to amplify beauty standards and, by doing so, to better meet mature womens aspirations.