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Is Indonesia ready for genderless beauty products?
As more makeup brands increasingly use male models to promote their products, the question is, are Indonesians ready for the genderless marketing of beauty?
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More men and transgender models are being featured in campaigns by local independent beauty brands. (JP/Courtesy of Rollover Reaction)
T
he word “beauty” as we know it has been long associated with one gender, namely women. Yet some local independent brands in the industry have started to challenge that age-long narrative and go against the tide using male faces to front their product’s launch campaign.
In September 2018, Indonesian premium makeup company Rollover Reaction launched a transparent brow mascara, dubbed the Browcara, using a male model as the main face for its marketing campaign. Although quite ground-breaking at the time, the decision did not come from any specific agenda of breaking through gender barriers. It was simply a data-driven decision.
"From our sales, there is no denying that there are male customers in our demographic, at about 10 percent. We weren't trying to cater to them at first, but the function of our Browcara is something that even men could benefit from, so we might as well invite a male model to better represent this product and its function," said Reina Devianti Triswan, Rollover Reaction’s product development manager.
Following the steps made by Rollover Reaction, at the end of last year, local skincare and makeup brand Somethinc unveiled a cushion foundation called Copy Paste Breathable Mesh Cushion and used male models to market the product.
Another homegrown beauty brand, BLP Beauty, followed suit with a product launched in January, inviting a transgender model to be the face of its cushion foundation Cover Cushion campaign.
"We want to make our presence was felt like a welcoming brand, one that makes people feel seen, leaving not a single person with the feeling of exclusion regardless of their gender," Lizzie Parra, the brand’s founder and chief marketing officer told The Jakarta Post.
Trying to break barriers at a time when it’s easier for people to voice their opinions, especially online, these campaigns can be a double-edged sword. For the brands, this presents a unique challenge, especially in the way the campaigns are presented.
