Brits Ban Dior Ad Because No Amount Of Mascara Will Turn You Into Natalie Portman

What you see isn’t always what you get, but in advertising that’s a big no-no. After all, the point of ads is to show potential consumers what they’ll be in for if they decide to buy that product. That whole truth in advertising thing is why the British Advertising Standards Authority has put the kibosh on Christian Dior mascara ads featuring actress Natalie Portman.

See, many ladies (and gents) find Ms. Portman to be quite pretty and wouldn’t mind looking as much like her as they can. The problem is, Dior admitted that in its DiorShow New Look mascara ad featuring Portman ostensibly wearing said mascara, well they sort of digitally retouched her lashes in post-production to lengthen and curve them, reports Good Morning America.

The whole brouhaha began when makeup competitor L’Oreal complained to the advertising authority that the ad’s presentation of Portmans lashes “misleadingly exaggerated the likely effects of the product” to the average consumer.

While Dior said the ad hadn’t received any complaints from consumers (maybe because no one can tell when something has been retouched if it’s done well?) the BASA disagreed. It said it considered that the ad’s claims, along with Portman’s image, “would be understood to mean that the mascara could lengthen the lashes, as well as separate them, increase their thickness and volume, and generally enhance lash appearance.”

Meaning, it would mislead consumers into thinking they could rock what Natalie’s got. And that’s not going to happen if you don’t have a digital retoucher on hand to change all photos of you. Now please, I need a moment to consider my future as non-Natalie Portman.

Agency Bans Dior Mascara Ad Featuring Natalie Portman [GMA]

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