Problem

We were tasked with spreading the word for an in-house men's makeup brand which was being launched by one of my past employers, Times Internet (one of South Asia's biggest digital content firms). The challenge was to uphold editorial values while also furthering a commercial conversation.

The idea of the makeup line was to burst gender norms around the concept of beauty which is traditionally linked with being feminine. It continues to be a tabboo topic in South Asia and not many celebrities were open to something like this even 4-5 years back.

Solution

With the help of my team, I was able to conceptualize a digital cover for the publication, which effectively communicated the core concept and ideology of the makeup brand without compromising editorial integrity.

I was also able to pull some strings and get a leading Bollywood actor Aditya Roy Kapur on board. He was also topical because of the launch of one of his films around the same time.

We also onboarded queer-activist and one of India's top make-up artists Elton J Fernandez to do the hair and make-up for this shoot.

Impact

The shoot generated a loud buzz across India's film industry and also among the fans
It helped the company launch the parallel e-commerce vertical with enough organic promotion

"With eyeshadow, highlighter and a full face makeup, the heartthrob has challenged outdated beauty norms"

Team

Alshaar Khan - Associate Editor
- Set up the shoot and eventual interviews with Kapur and Elton to gather information for the profile
- Conceptualized the digtial cover that sparked conversations about changing definitions of masculinity
Sowrav Bhowmik - Fashion Editor
- Conducted interviews with Kapur and Elton to gather information for the profile
- Crafted a compelling story that encouraged conversation around changing definitions of masculinity
Zain Anwar - Video Lead
- Led the creation of stunning visuals and graphics to bring the story to life
- Incorporated design elements that captured the essence of the story

Norm-Breaking Editorial Cover Shoot Sparks Male Beauty Conversation