For as long as adverts have existed, advertisers have been striving to bring the most aesthetically pleasing images to people’s screens and reading materials.
Of course, to define “aesthetically pleasing” is difficult since it depends on the country and society, but generally speaking it’s an unattainable ideal that can influence young girls (and indeed older ones, too) to strive for a kind of “perfection”.
Now, there is a movement to increase the visibility of some other types of bodies and faces in media. This means including more people of color, people of different sizes, and people who may have been kept hidden from the public eye as recently as just a few years ago.
Even now, there exist people who may be bothered by seeing individuals with Down syndrome in the media. It should go without saying that such people are in minority with regards to their narrow-mindedness – people with Down syndrome should always feel beautiful and cherished!
This is part of the reason why beauty brand Benefit Cosmetics has made a 20-year-old model named Kate Grant the face of the brand!
Kate Grant was chosen as the model for their Roller Liner Eyeliner in their social media campaigns after execs saw a video of her.
“Her amazing energy was so infectious and we were captivated by her incredible zest for life and determination,” Benefit Cosmetics said in a statement. “She embodied everything we stand for as a brand so we knew we had to find a way to work with her.”
Grant has previously won the 2018 Teen Ultimate Beauty of the World pageant, striving to become the first Down syndrome model in Ireland. She’s not about to let her DNA get in the way of her dreams!
The company added that it hopes that the ads will show people “that beauty and makeup shots can absolutely feature people from all walks of life.”
Kate was thrilled about the opportunity. “This week has been amazing,” she wrote on Instagram. “Make sure you all get this amazing liner!”
The response to the campaign has been overwhelmingly positive. One person wrote: “Love this model!! I will now try the liner! I’ve never used your product before but now I’m inspired to. Thank you @benefitcosmeticsuk for celebrating all beauty and diversity!!”
Parents of children with Down syndrome were equally pleased: “As the mum of a child with Down syndrome, I can’t tell you how much it means to us that you have featured this beautiful girl!” said one.
“Thank you so very much for your awesome gesture of inclusiveness, hope to see more of Kate.”
Don’t you just love Kate’s enthusiasm and love for life? She’s an inspiration to us all!
Please share this story if you think that more ads should feature people from all walks of life!
