I have always been fascinated by the GHD brand and until recently hadn’t realised the true power and extent to which these three letters had permeated not only the beauty/haircare industy but also the daily routines of so many women. Go into any hair salon, any beauty supply shop or even any woman’s home and ask them what the best straighteners on the market are and they’ll all reply with the same answer.
The GHD products are essentially a range of different hair straighteners and yet they have become a staple to everyone and something of a cult symbol. But, is this because they truly are the best straighteners? Or is it because the GHD brand creates a unique edge that no other hair appliance brand has ever done? I think the answer to both is yes.
I think the mysterious and alluring uniqueness of the GHD advertising campaigns makes the brand particularly strong and adds to its success. The religious connotations attached to the GHD brand make it particularly interesting as the constant biblical references and allusions to the ten commandments grant the brand a sacred quality, holding the straighteners up as the holy grail of haircare. By implication no other brand could stand up to the messiah like quality of the mighty GHDS. This is further asserted by the way the GHD adverts are shot, the interesting use of light and shadow – which I think may be referred to as chiaroscuro, but I’m no artist – mimics paintings of religious scenes and images often found in churches.
Researching the brand on the internet brought me to some sites which focused on the church’s outcry surrounding the way GHDs have been marketed. One particular advert showed women from all around the word saying phrases such as ‘may my new curls make her feel choked with jealousy’ then they stroked rosaries around their neck and the advert ended with the words ‘thy will be done’. May GHD be damned for combining a crucifix with a woman in underwear! This certainly seems a shame as I found those adverts particularly resonant and unique. It also made the brand seem far more universal, including women from all over the world which I felt added to the idea that these women are united as a sorority of power and beauty. Although the women threaten other women they still seemed bound by the GHD sisterhood which makes them very empowered.
On the whole women are portrayed throughout the advertising as strong, authoritative and manipulative which is refreshing in the media today when we are bombarded by stereotypes of fake, quiet and pathetic female figures. Fair enough, the women in the GHD adverts are by no means the girl next door type, with their amazing hair and ethereal beauty, but it’s still impressive to see they have agency, power and a mind of their own, even if they do often use this to the detriment of others.
This has led me to think about how religion has been used throughout advertising/marketing campaigns in the past and I would love to see what kind of brand image other companies have tried to build through allusions to religion and equally how the public reacted.
Tags: advertising, beauty, haircare
