Dayum Maybelline Singapore, you got burnt. A marketing attempt involving young heartthrob Benjamin Kheng backfired pretty badly on them over reinforcing gender stereotypes.
In an attempt to jump on the gender equality bandwagon, the makeup brand put on some guyliner on the very handsome frontman of The Sam Willows — which is so last summer anyway, and doesn’t really shake up gender norms.
Nothing wrong with using a dude to promote eyeliners really. But what rustled people’s jimmies is the fact that Maybelline said since this very handsome fellow could pull it off, girls should do it too. Which pretty much goes against the whole “breaking down gender stereotypes” message. Veteran journalist Kirsten Han wasted no time in calling them out:
And so did many other folks:
Better luck next time, Maybelline Singapore. This reminds us of a similar miscalculated marketing attempt made by another cosmetic brand last year, when NIVEA Singapore’s deodorant ad left a foul stank with feminists.
