WHO’S THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL?: A CONTENT AND RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF GLUTA-C’S ADVERTISING FOR FILIPINO SKIN-WHITENING PRODUCTS

Abstract

Previous centuries of European colonization experienced by nations located in the Global South have influenced a desire among modern-day customers to purchase cosmetic products that promise a lighter skin complexion. Earlier scholarship focused on this sector of the beauty industry from an economic perspective, but contemporary research has shifted towards analyzing the advertising materials to understand how customers are persuaded to invest in these goods. This study provides further information through a content and rhetorical analysis of thirty-eight advertisements that were originally posted on Gluta-C’s Instagram between November 2013 and April 2016. The frequencies of particular word choice from the posts’ taglines are considered along with their positive and negative connotations. These English-language artifacts were also classified based on the artistic proofs of ethos, pathos, and logos from Neo-Aristotelian criticism. This deconstruction reveals that Gluta-C strengthens its reputation by explicitly outlining the ingredients of its skin-whitening creams while reassuring its safety from potential side effects and emphasizing its outstanding abilities compared to competitors. Emotional appeals were primarily utilized to create associations with wintertime holidays, highlight the undesirable appearances of customers before using the products, and describe their perfect lifestyles after consumption. Logical reasoning was used to present a solution to buyers’ skin problems, offer convenience to their beauty routines, and explain the additional benefits of using these skin-lightening lotions.