THE MASK YOU LIVE

IN

Is it because we must or because we

want to do it?

Billie’s and HYM campaigns.

Verónica Rueda Puyana
It has been known ever since that culture is what shapes
our identities and behavior as individuals; a culture is a
society’s personality. We all have grown up under some kind
of pressure and rules that have told us how we should be,
behave, think and look; we have lived in a prism through
which we view the world we live in and try to make sense of
our own and other people’s behavior. Men and women have
always followed the rules imposed by society until today, a
time where some changes are starting to be made.

As far as social networks are concerned, the image of

women is also terribly labeled and limited to a series of
characteristics. Characteristics that are closely linked to
what the culture defines as a woman; go shaved, be thin,
perfect skin, beautiful hair. Yet, what is exactly moral in all
of those features? Do we, women, follow them because we
must or because we want?

This short essay will center on the different attributes

women are asked to have in order to be “real” women, using
as support two advertising campaigns of the companies
Billie and H&M.

 Billie: women and body hair on TV.

It is obvious that on the internet and social media, as in TV

and commercials, there is a deep lack of presence of body
hair, especially and mostly in women. Amaya Ascunce, a
journalist who works for Elle magazine, asked 6 editors if
they really shaved because they wanted or if they just did it
because that is what they were taught to do. Most of the
respondents said that they did not know if it was their real
choice, as shaving has been imposed forever. Women feel
an enormous amount of pressure about their body hair, as
it has been so stigmatized and it is related directly with
masculinity, or even with laziness or dirt. TV advertisements
eventually show us women that when summer comes, they
should be perfectly shaved, and in order to show the
product itself, they do not show body hair, but are already
depilated.

In 2018, the brand of hair removal blades Billie decided to

bet on hair and show their project in a television
commercial. “Commercials show women "shaving" perfectly
smooth, airbrushed legs. Strange, huh? But everyone has
short stubble, long strands, or something in between. What
you do with yours is up to you - grow it, get rid of it, or
comb it. It's your hair, after all.” (Billie, 2018)
 Figure 1: Pictures from the Billie advertisement

As we can see in Figure 1., this TV advertisement defends

diversity and mostly defends women’s choice. “So, however,
whenever, if ever, you want to shave, we’ll be here”, Billie is
trying to send a message of freedom, about the possibility
of not necessarily following the rules of society (that have
been perpetuated by the patriarchal side of it).

“A celebration of female body hair… wherever it is or isn’t.”

(Billie, 2018)

This Body Hair Project makes a difference in women

stereotypes and shows hair as a normal thing, saying that
everyone can choose what to do. Is a step in the right
direction in order to normalize our natural characteristics, to
make us see that we are free to choose and to realize that
although shaving has always been part of our education, it is
never too late to learn and to start ruling in ourselves and in
our body.
 HYM: She's a Lady campaign
Lara (1988) stated that some of the conducts attributed to
women were being affectionate, compassionate, sensitive,
understanding, charitable, affectionate, friendly, tender,
sweet, soft-spoken and generous, among others.

It is well known by everyone that companies always take

advantage of the stereotypes society has about
everything; men, women, gender roles, appearance, etc.
HYM decided to release an advertisement in 2016 under the
slogan She's a lady, where the company showed taught
behaviors in women that were not socially accepted,
therefore creating a clash of reality and activism.

Figure 2: Pictures from the HYM advertisement.

Regarding Figure 2, we can see a few pictures extracted
from the HYM advertisement where appear different
women representing a non normative aesthetic.

"Entertaining, opinionated, off-beat and fearless. Bad-ass,

independent and free-willed" (HYM, 2016)

That was the definition this company gave about the women
starring the ad. This is not the only campaign HYM has done
in order to achieve a message full of diversity and to break
the roles, but it definitely made a huge difference in how
companies are selling their products.

It is no longer just how society perpetuates such normalized

customs in men and women, but also how companies decide
to advertise and sell their products.

Following the norms and rules of all life or beginning to open

a path towards diversity, acceptance, and above all
towards the absence of taboos regarding different topics.
In conclusion, these type of campaigns are really neccesary
for both of us, men and women (or for anyone who needs to
see them), in order to open our minds and become more
tolerant. This way we will be able to end with taboos and
stereotypes that are just normalize for having been listened
to all our lives.

 REFERENCES
Ascunce, A. (2022, January 3). ¿Te depilas porque quieres? ELLE.
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https://www.elle.com/es/belleza/tendencias-
novedades/a31012464/depilacion-machismo-debate/

Audrey. (2019, June 27). La Marca de Cuchillas de depilación Billie

Apuesta por el Vello púbico este verano en su nueva campaña.
Trendencias. Retrieved June 3, 2022, from
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Billie. (2018). Project Body Hair by Billie. YouTube. Retrieved June 3,

2022, from https://youtu.be/P4DDpS685iI

Cerini, M. (2020, March 3). Why women feel pressured to shave. CNN.
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H&M. (2016). She's a Lady. YouTube. Retrieved June 3, 2022, from

https://youtu.be/8-RY6fWVrQ0

Project body hair. Billie. (2018). Retrieved June 3, 2022, from

https://www.mybillie.com/pages/projectbodyhair

San Pedro, S. V. (n.d.). 386 conductas FEMENINAS Y Masculinas - Acacia.

Acacia. Retrieved June 3, 2022, from
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