Fair & Lovely is now Glow & Lovely: Two Sides of the Colorism Coin

Burman Ananya () and Das Anupam ()
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Burman Ananya: Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode
Das Anupam: Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode

No 489, Working papers from Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode

Abstract: The objective of this study is to understand the nuances of colorism in the brand campaigns of Fair & Lovely over the years, significantly after it changed its name to Glow & Lovely. When others discriminate against those with darker skin tones, it is referred to as colorism (Stamps, n.d.). Such traces are visible in branding and marketing activities where brands target a consumer's emotional state, ego, needs and aspirations to form a brand relationship. In this study we explore the brand communication of Fair & Lovely (now known as Glow & Lovely) (Sharma, 2020), a top brand of the FMCG, Hindustan Unilever Limited producing similar product categories and dominating the fairness industry. The research builds upon the impact of colorism, its journey over the years, and question the brands' decision to move towards inclusion. The research questions deep dive into people's perception of the brand, what draws them to it, and how the narrative affects them. The study analyses the linguistic/semiotic/sociocultural elements of the advertisements that help to assimilate the concept of beauty, as well as the problem of colorism in cosmetic products and their growing market. The findings would equip future businesses with how brand decisions affect body image, ideals of consumers, especially the new-age consumer. Subsequently, we help business and academic communities understand why organizations take such decisions and gain anything by promoting themselves as a "socially responsible" brand for a new age audience.

Keywords: Fair & Lovely; Colorism Coin; brand campaigns (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 3 pages
Date: 2022-02
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