(BOBBI BROWN) RED- Embrace the “Pretty Powerful”

This one’s a shout out to my home girl, Bobbi Brown, Emerson Alum, make-up artist, and CEO and creator of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics.

A while ago, I started noticing the “Pretty Powerful” ads EVERYWHERE. Billboards, bus stops, cabs, you name it. I wasn’t blown away by the ad itself, but I loved the campaign- The message was truthful, powerful, and inspiring. Real woman, embracing who they are, and utilizing Bobbi Brown Cosmetics to feel how they want to feel and be who they want to be: Themselves. Observing from a different point of view (Playing devil’s advocate for a second), selling make up through a tone of “inner beauty” and “your own skin” is like walking on a tight rope. It’s a brilliant concept, but one wrong move, and it comes off as highly superficial and over done. Let me explain- it’s MAKE UP (get it? like “make me up” with leading products like “Cover-up”, and “concealer”) Where does one get “YOU” behind all that make up? So when there is no deeper message behind the big concept of “inner beauty,” it’s just pretty, pretty superficial, that is. But I have to give it to Bobbi- she walked that tight rope like a pro- like the Revlon Revolution when everyone was suddenly awaken by the concept of “YOU” as the target (instead of “woman age 24-50” or “Sub-urban housewife”), Bobbi Brown did the same by stating: “We want to to look good, but more than that, we want to feel good.” Bobbi Brown Cosmetics isn’t about masking who you are or making up anything, it’s about enhancing your features and bringing out your genuine sparkle. It’s about feeling Good. It’s about being “Pretty Powerful” just the way you are.

 http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com/prettypowerful/about.tmpl

Bobbi introduced the campaign with this video, and starred her friends as the face of it all. She mentioned a lot of great things in this clip, but my favorite part and inspiration to this entire entry came from this line: ” It (Make up) doesn’t just get applied and you walk away, there’s so much more to it” this industry isn’t just about getting dolled up for your husband when he get home anymore- it’s a bout self expression, art, confidence, and most of all, it’s about how it makes you feel.

Now to reveal the title. Of course, this is just my idea, and it’ll probably never happen, however, I had a thought that “Product Red’s newest partner should be Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. It’ll be perfect” Hear me out.

Before you tilt your head in confusion, let me break it down. Make up is something that you use EVERYDAY (okay, maybe not everyday for everyone-sorry, guys). Make-up is an iconic product, it’s an essential (Just like the rest of (Product) Red). Yes, Bobbi Brown is high-end (it’s not cover girl at CVS) but just think, what if by upgrading your choice and choosing Bobbi Brown, you could be helping others “feel good” just like you- but in a whole new way. This message of ” It (Make up) doesn’t just get applied and you walk away, there’s so much more to it” will mean so so so much more. The campaign message resonates, it translates, it makes sense. The (Product) Red (   ) “The embrace” is a play-on on the mathematical symbol for ^ (like squaring something, but to the power of _______ ). It holds the meaning of embracing something to the power of red. Whether it be clothes, music, shoes, or a cell phone, Red utilizes a business model that translates through iconic brands and everyday products to benefit the life of others. It provides consumers with a choice of lifestyle of embracing not only yourself but others in need in the process. (Product) Red stresses that it’s not a charity, because it is a choice, and a lifestyle. Consumption is an everyday process for us, it is continuous, and we can also continuously be giving by making simple choices. 

ENVISION: powerful women buying their usual fix of (Bobbi Brown)RED; Boyfriends and husbands, friends and girlfriends buying (Bobbi Brown) RED as gifts… Women everywhere embracing their beauty by looking really good and feeling even better for many many reasons, and so much more. 

Now THAT is “Pretty Powerful”