02/07/2014

Here’s a question. Dior Dreamskin, Dior Prestige, Dior L’Or de Vie. Which of these lotions is the best?

Because I’m playing fair, I’ll give you a bit of context for each. Dreamskin is “for all women who wish to attain perfect skin”. Prestige is for “women who want unrivalled completeness in their skincare solution”. L’Or de Vie is, simply, “the ultimate lifelong skincare product”.

Christ, that’s a tough field to pick from. If the Dior dermatological range were to be any literary form, it’d be a Homerian epic, with each hero stronger, more dazzling, and better at moisturising than the last. Surely, then, if all the Dior skincare products fight it out so fiercely for the mantle of consummate perfection, there can be no question that Dior as a collective stands towering above their competitors?

The application of this logic can make any walk through a beauty and cosmetics department utterly exhausting. Because astoundingly, most other brands produce swathes of perfect products as well.

Now, I can understand why a brand would want to suggest that one of their products, their premium line, is without equal among competitors. If you can convince customers that the best stuff you make is also better than everyone else’s stuff, I suppose they're then more likely to give you money at some point. But suggesting that more than one, indeed almost all of your products are “unsurpassed” creates a paradox which can only serve to weaken the perfection construct, and in so doing demean the argument for why your stuff should be the stuff they choose to buy. With every hyperbole-pumped product title and description, the customer must become increasingly fed up with the hollow, empty language of a literally superficial industry. That can't help sales.

How can this be avoided? a) Build a product hierarchy. Your best product is better than your second best product – be clear on that. b) Identify the different target groups of each product – i.e. oily skin types, dry skin types, etc. c) Follow the trailblazing example of Clive Christian, and advertise something tangible.

Obviously this description is totally revolting. But at the very least they’re speaking in terms we understand.