The Ordinary is taking a swipe at “misleading marketing jargon” used to sell beauty products via a new dystopian-style campaign.
The Periodic Fable is a campaign by the Deciem-owned skin care brand which reimagines the scientific periodic table by substituting various chemical elements for beauty buzzwords.
Within the fake table it has created 49 “elements with zero science” to raise awareness of marketing language commonly used by brands to entice customers.
The Ordinary claims these buzzwords are “driven by marketing that can mislead consumers into purchasing ‘a dream’ or ‘magic’ with no scientific backing”.
Some of the terminology which The Ordinary claims misrepresents science and ingredient action includes ‘poreless’, ‘medical grade’, ‘fat freezing’ and ‘eternal youth’.
The launch video sees The Ordinary’s reimagined periodic table projected onto the wall of a room filled with students mimicking viral skin care trends such as ‘the morning shed’ and ice rolling.
The dystopian style film depicts skin care users as being trapped in an endless cycle.
The Ordinary’s caption on the video on Instagram said: “From empty promises to impossible standards and overhyped ingredients: for too long, our industry has taught beauty wrong.”
A ‘The Periodic Fable’ website has also been created which houses all of these “elements” for consumers to discover more.
“In a sea of marketing colour, The Periodic Fable will stand out as clear and fuss-free,” read a statement from The Ordinary.
“This city-centric moment will continue to celebrate what the brand is continually known for: aiming to solve problems simply and sensibly.”
The debut of The Periodic Fable follows The Ordinary launching its first-ever book to help consumers better understand formulations.
Titled, Ingredients, the coffee table book is described as delivering a deep dive into formulations, ingredients and labels using science-driven storytelling.
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