CVS Pharmacy is making good on its promise to ban unrealistic beauty standards, with the launch of its debut photoshop-free campaign.
The drugstore chain has unveiled "Beauty in Real Life," its first advertising campaign since it pledged to stop digitally altering the images it uses in store, online and for social media back in January. The campaign features the brand’s new "CVS Beauty Mark," a watermark symbol that appears on unaltered images to signify its authenticity to customers.
The new campaign features everyday beauty moments in the lives of a diverse group of women, including clips of a woman applying her lipstick on the bus, and another enjoying end-of-the-day sheet mask. It will run through June, spanning digital, print, social media and TV.
"There’s been a shift in what consumers want to see when it comes to beauty," said Norman de Greve, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, CVS Health. "They are asking for more transparency and authenticity, and that’s what Beauty in Real Life is all about."
CVS is aiming for all images in its in-store beauty sections to bear the "CVS Beauty Mark" symbol by the end of 2020, and has also reached out to several of the brands it stocks to encourage them to consider a change of approach. In shunning the airbrush, the retailer follows in the footsteps of brands including Aerie, Asos and Missguided — all of whom have used unretouched photos for campaigns in the past.
