Monday 13 June 2022

Museum of Brand. Express Yourself: Find Your Brand - Summer 2022 Activities


 

From 9 July - 4 September 2022

This summer the Museum of Brands is encouraging visitors to express themselves and consider their identity through the brands they choose. The goal is to generate discussion around identity, culture, and heritage, and how they have been portrayed through marketing campaigns and consumerism over the past 200 years. Through a temporary display of the evolution of make-up, workshops, and discovery trails for all ages, we will take a look at how brands have traditionally used gender norms to capture their target audiences, and those who have shaken the status quo.

Self-expression and identity have become a huge part of the conversation in recent years. There are numerous ways to express yourself, and brand choices play a enormous part in that, from fashion and make-up to music, culture, books, social media, and gender identity. In recent years, brands have discovered the benefits of acknowledging the flaws in their thinking and becoming more inclusive in their advertising. Our Time Tunnel is living evidence of how brands have adapted to cultural and diversity awareness over the last 200 years, and we will expose the stereotypes ingrained in marketing campaigns to encourage debate among visitors. We invite visitors to explore personal and brand identity through the last 200 years and express their own identity through workshops and craft activities.

Highlights include:

• From 1 August, a temporary display showcasing the evolution of make-up, ranging through the decades of the 20th century. The exhibit will contain products such as the Cosmetic Stove and items from Max Factor, dating from 1914, that were the first products used in the film industry. 

• Xabier Celaya, a professional make-up artist and filmmaker will lead two creative workshops on the 4 and 13 August with the theme of Express Yourself – Make-up and Identity. Xabier will look at the uses of make-up across multiple decades, focusing on the history of cosmetics and film make-up.

• A repeat showing of the short film 10 from 50. Produced by Lindsey Clay showcasing ten well-known TV ads from the last 50 years, which examines how gender stereotypes have changed. 

• Discovery Trails for all ages. Rainbow trail, History of Fashion and Gender in Advertising

Craft activities: • #findyourbrand – take a picture of the brand which best represents you and tag us on social media to win a prize • Create a Carnival Mask on 25 and 26 August. • Make-and-take children's activities, including Paper Doll Dress Up, Create a Look with Make-up and Design yourself as a Toy. • Face painting sessions • Add your favourite brand to our Rainbow Wall. • Online quizzes and social media campaigns

Gender and cultural stereotypes have been ingrained into marketing and branding designs for many decades. Brands such as Guinness, who typically avoided using women in their campaigns and Persil, who traditionally only featured women, reinforced gender norms in popular culture. Mattel’s Barbie has been somewhat problematic in the past and has had to adapt their identity with changing perspectives. Their 2015 campaign titled ‘Imagine the Possibilities' sought to challenge the issues that Barbie Dolls projected an unrealistic female body image to young children. The ad aimed to shift parent’s opinion and show that when young girls play with them, they can imagine they are anything.

Other brands have naturally started to adapt to the general public's newfound love to express their identity and find their personal brand. In the recent past M.A.C Cosmetics teamed up with the Brant Brothers, releasing their unisex make-up range. Other companies, such as War Paint for Men UK have solely created their cosmetic brand for men. The temporary display that will be on show from 1 August 2022, will address this by including products from brands such as Quant Colouring Box for men, released in 1974 at the height of the ‘Glam Rock’ period.

Diversity marketing has become increasingly common, aiming to break advertising norms by focusing on those who may feel underrepresented. Dove, for example, created their ad campaign titled Real Beauty to do exactly this; depicting women of all shapes and skin colours, resulting in them feeling acknowledged within the beauty industry. 

The fashion industry has long been associated with identity expression. By the 1960s, and going into the 1970s, fashion brands and those in the public spotlight started to show signs of understanding that people had a liking for gender fluid clothing. Namely Elton John, who would wear platform heels on stage, thus resulting in more men wearing heels. 

It is evident and a must that brands and consumer culture are and should continue to adapt their image to appeal to the ever-changing identity norms. So, the Museum of Brands encourages all visitors this summer to express themselves and find their brand. 

The Museum of Brands is open from 10:00 to 18:00 Monday to Saturday and 11:00 to 17:00 on Sundays and Bank Holidays. The Museum is located a short walk from Ladbroke Grove tube station at 111-117 Lancaster Road, W11 1QT. www.museumofbrands.com