Blog task: Maybelline 'That Boss Life' case study and wider reading

Blog task: Maybelline 'That Boss Life' case study and wider reading

Work through the following tasks to make sure you're an expert on the Maybelline CSP and particularly the wider social and cultural context.

'That Boss Life' close textual analysis

Use your notes from class to write about the connotations and representations created by the following technical and audio codes. Write at least a paragraph on each:

1) Narrative & genre: narrative theory and sub-genre

In this advert, the narrative presented is trying to show how exclusive the mascara is using it would make you superior. The use of mise-en-scene within the advert creates enigma and action codes. An example of an action code is when the suit case was opened with the gold light coming out which made the audience want to know what is it.


2) Cinematography: camera shots and movement

The 'That Boss Life' advert started of with a medium   shot which panned forward as Manny and Shayla entered the hotel room. Within this shot we were able to establish the setting and where this advert is taking place. In this advert it was taking place in a urban city, most likely New York city as you can see tall buildings from the window.  When the bell boy came into the hotel room with the luggage's, the shot that was used is a crane shot. A close-up was used as Manny put on the mascara. The gold bling on his eye as he applied the mascara illustrated that he's rich/prestigious when using the Maybelline mascara.

3) Mise-en-scene: costume & props 

The use of mise-en-scene has been used effectively within the Maybelline 'That Boss Life' in terms of costume and props. The use of the bell boy ending up in a golden suit after he has used the mascara clearly portrays that the mascara will make you look rich and prestigious.

4) Mise-en-scene: actors, setting, lighting and colour

The use of Mise-en scene in terms of actors, setting, lighting and colour is very effective. In 'The Boss Life' advert they have used a 'gay man' to promote the Maybelline mascara. This subverts the stereotypes as older generations would typically see women using mascara whereas, now there is men using mascara. The setting of this video is in New York which is a modern famous city.

5) Editing: pace, transitions and visual effects

The pace of the editing starts off slow however, gradually gets faster. The use of the slow motion when Manny and Shayla throw the mascara into the air and onto the bed was very effective as it gave the audience the message that this is something you must get. The use of the visual effects (When Shayla and Manny were applying the mascara and the use of the golden blind effect on their eye) took place, this was very effective as it suggested that using the mascara will make you stand out and be just like them.

6) Graphics: text/graphics on screen

Throughout the whole advert, the Maybelline brand logo is on the bottom left of the screen however, the use of white colour went well with the advert so it doesn't distract the audience from watching the actual advert.

7) Sound: dialogue, music and sound effects

The soundtrack that was used throughout the advert matched the pace that advert. Furthermore, the soundtrack created a positive mood. Some of the sound effects that were used in the advert was the bling sound effect when the camera shot first panned onto the luggage packed with the Mascara. Further on when Manny and Shayla were applying the mascara, another bling sound effect was used.

Maybelline 'That Boss Life': wider reading

Read the following articles on this campaign:

Glamour: Manny Gutierrez Is the First Man to Star in a Maybelline Campaign, and It’s a Huge Deal
Your Story: Cosmetics giant breaks gender stereotypes by choosing male model as a face of the brand
Adweek: Maybelline Recruits Manny Gutierrez as Its First Male Beauty Star

Complete the following questions/tasks:

1) Why was this campaign such a landmark for beauty product advertising?

The campaign was such a landmark for beauty product advertising because in the Maybelline 'That Boss Life' advert, it starred Manny Gutierrez rather than other celebrities. This is a big deal because he is the first male beauty star and he is also a YouTuber.

2) What do the articles suggest regarding the changing representation of sexuality and masculinity?

The article is clearly telling us that masculinity is definitely changing and there is less pressure being put on men than there was before. 

3) Read this WWD article: Maybelline Taps Digital Makeup Influencers for New Mascara Campaign. Why might 'digital influencers' be so attractive to companies?

“We’re so excited to team up with Manny and Shayla, who are true leading influencers in the social media world, on our first video campaign that features influencers as the stars,” said Anne Marie Nelson-Bogle, senior vice president of marketing for Maybelline, in a statement. “They represented the ‘boss’ beauty attitude in this campaign like no one else could, bringing to life this message on-screen to inspire their millions of fans…to also ‘lash like a boss.’”

4) Why do you think Maybelline chose to use MannyMUA and MakeUpShayla in particular?

Gutierrez and Mitchell share a combined Instagram following of 5.1 million followers and a YouTube subscribership of 2.5 million. Gutierrez, a male whose Instagram bio reads “I think boys deserve just as much cosmetic recognition,” is the more popular of the pair, with about 700,000 more Instagram followers and a YouTube subscribership of more than 2.1 million. The digital influencer phenomenon has already spread to the mass market, and Maybelline is certainly not the first mass brand to add a male makeup enthusiast to its system — last year, Cover Girl announced its appointment of James Charles, an Instagram makeup artist, to its roster of brand ambassadors. The campaign generated buzz because Charles is a teenage boy.

5) What does the WWD article suggest is the crucial factor for brands regardless of whether they use influencers or more traditional celebrities?

Influencers continue to show their prowess in the beauty space, it is not surprising that Maybelline jumped on the bandwagon, said Wendy Liebmann, chief executive officer of WSL Strategic Retail. “Maybelline is saying, ‘We’re a very social brand and we want to maintain a younger, more digital shopper base.’” Some mass-market brands are eschewing the influencer route. Just this week, Revlon announced it was adding Gwen Stefani, a more traditionally established celebrity, to its ambassador lineup.

Media Magazine: The Changing Face of Masculinity

Now go to our Media Magazine archive and read the feature 'The Changing Face of Masculinity' in MM63 (page 15). This will allow us to compare our two advertising CSPs - the Score hair cream advert and the Maybelline digital campaign. Answer the following questions:

1) What message does the article suggest the Score hair cream advert is trying to communicate to the 1967 audience?

The score hair cream advert is trying to communicate to the 1967 audience that buying the hair cream means they will attract females. The advert used a lot of females and just one male to tell the audience that they'll be able to attract more than just one girl.

2) How does the article suggest the Score hair cream advert uses narrative to sell the product?

The ‘Score’ ad uses a large image of a grinning man dressed like a hunter with a rifle nestled in the crook of his arm. He is held aloft on a tiger- skin platform by five women dressed in sexualised hunting costume: short skirts, tied-up shirts and ammunition belts. Four women look up at him adoringly (one reaches out longingly) while the fifth, with a sultry expression, looks directly at the consumer. The advert is using female sexuality to show men they can have power: you can conquer, you will be desired.

3) What 1967 stereotypes does the article suggest the Score hair cream advert reinforces?

The 1967 stereotypes that are reinforced in the Score hair cream advert is that the ladies are there to be objectified or just for the male gaze so it encouraged men to buy the hair cream.

4) Applying Stuart Hall's reception theory, what does the article suggest the preferred and oppositional readings could be for the Score hair cream advert?

In terms of Stuart Hall's reception theory, the preferred reading for the score hair cream advert is that if men use this product then girls will find them attractive and they'll get more attention from women. The oppositional reading for this advert is that it is trying to show how women have to listen to men and men are more dominant than women. The women in this advert are sexually dressed to gain the male's attention.

5) Moving on to the Maybelline advert, why is the background of Manny Gutierrez and Shayla Mitchell significant?

Maybelline is working with its first male brand ambassador, Manny Gutierrez, a Mexican- Spanish-American beauty vlogger and Instagram sensation. The video ad touches on issues of gender representation, ethnicity and lifestyle. The advertisement tells the story of two YouTubers, Manny Gutierrez and Shayla Mitchell checking into a New York hotel room with stunning views of the city. They open up a gold, glittery suitcase and out tumbles the product that everyone wants, the ‘Big Shot’ mascara.

6) What is the narrative of the Maybelline advert?

The narrative in the Maybelline advert was that Manny and Shayla had entered a hotel room in New York and they were amazed by the stunning view. The bell boy came into the room with the luggages and Manny and Shayla opened the golden luggage. As they opened it there was a ray of gold light shining towards their face then they threw the mascara into the air and onto the bed. 

7) What does the article suggest the Maybelline advert's message is?

The ad, like its 1960s counterpart, uses an aspirational image showing two friends who do not conform to masculine and feminine ideals but are nonetheless powerful: happy in their own skin, confident in their bodies and their sexuality. -MM

8) The final section of the article focuses on masculinity. What do the Score advert and the Maybelline advert suggest regarding the changes in society and media between 1967 and 2017?


The Score hair cream advert clearly reflects the traditional values and ideologies whereas, 'The Boss Life' advert clearly indicated how views and ideologies have changed over the last 50 years.