"Smart" BB Cream? L'OREAL

Flipping through the magazine Allure I saw this ad for L'OREAL's new BB Cream. The ad caught my eye because of the different color scheme it had compared to the other ads in the magazine. The black background contrasts with the color of the BB cream which is a much lighter color. The neon blue semicircle also contrasted greatly.

According to L'OREAL, this new product "beautifies in 1 second" and "improves skin in 1 week". The whole point of BB cream is to cover blemishes, so the beautifying part is accurate...Improving skin isn't actually proven though by dermatologists or anything, so that's a bit deceiving. These phrases have positive connotations because it sounds like all blemishes will disappear within a week. It also states the instant benefits and future benefits from using this product. The word "instant" has a positive connotation because as I said earlier, it gives the feeling of immediate results.

This ad is also quite vague. From the very beginning, L'OREAL is introducing "Smart BB Cream". What makes it smart? Is there some special ingredient that makes it "smart"? Under that, they say "Youth Code". Does that mean using this product will make you look forever young? What exactly is the code to youth? Is there such thing? I would think this product is targeted to 40 year old women because that's the age where women begin to feel conscious about their age. Another thing that's vague would be the word "perfects", under the instant benefits. Nothing's perfect right? The word "perfect" is another positive connotation, making women feel better about their skin. I would say a more "truthful" word to put in rather than perfects would be improves. It also has a positive meaning and seems more fitting.

The technique that is used is Simple Solutions. Using this product will instantly make you look younger and beautiful. Women want a product to make sure they look young and wrinkle-free, this BB cream will do just that. The need for attention is present in this ad. This product will make you stand out from other women because you'll look younger than everyone else.

I would say this ad was effective because it catches your eye with the different color scheme it uses. Usually ads have a white background with bright colors, but this one contrasts from the others. The many positive connotations used in this ad help promote this product. It sounds so beneficial to use this BB Cream, the list of immediate and future benefits are convincing.