The Respect For Race and Culture In a Modern Feminist Society: An Analysis of Beauty Product Advertising Messages on Instagram

Abstract

This research aims to analyze how beauty brands communicate their messages through Instagram advertisements and determine whether Indonesian beauty standards have changed. This research uses a qualitative approach because it is still uncommon for a qualitative approach that analyzes how and why messages are formulated in beauty advertising. This research also uses a semiology analysis method to explore the meaning of communication messages based on Roland Barthes's model, which includes denotation, connotation, and myth. The sample of advertisements is eight from the screening results of 82 populations and is classified as visual feminism, women's representation, gender equality, women's empowerment, and natural beauty. The result shows that three beauty brands use signs such as sentences and models that promote differences in beauty standards, and the beauty standards in Indonesia have changed over time. The implications of the results of this study recommend the need for quantitative research to examine consumer opinion and behavior.