Digital
Don’t Cover It Up
Refuge · 2012
- Campaign
- Don’t Cover It Up
Analysis
Refuge and makeup creator Lauren Luke used a tutorial format to address domestic abuse. This still shows her applying makeup over simulated bruises.
Format reversalCreator partnershipVisible warning signs
Why it worked
The close framing and makeup brush establish the familiar language of a beauty tutorial. The bruises change the meaning of the demonstration. That conflict makes the act of concealment the subject of the campaign. Luke’s established format gives the message a context where viewers already expect personal advice.
Lesson
Use a familiar creator format when changing its usual purpose can reveal the problem.