After a long campaign on social media, influencers will have to stop using 'misleading' filters in paid ads. This is to avoid claiming exaggerated effects for beauty products.

Results Of A Succesful Social Media Campain

Make-up artist Sasha Pallari launched the Instagram campaign #filterdrop in July 2020. With it, she hoped to encourage a more honest approach to paid ads of beauty products.

Pallari gave the example and then asked other influencers to follow her lead and show their 'real skin' in beauty ads. Several celebrities and politicians, as well as social media users, welcomed the action.

Following the initiative, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled against filters when sponsoring beauty products. The decision applies to UK-based brands, celebrities, and influencers.

Changing The Landscape Of Beauty Ads

Because of the new ruling, using filters to show an exaggerated impact for beauty products in ads is now a big no-no. Mentioning the filter in the Instagram captions is not enough, either.

Any ad or paid promotion breaking the rules is going to be deleted. In other words, no more cheating: in promotional posts, influencers and celebrities will have to show their real skin.

To get to the decision, the ASA checked two pictures where filters increased the real effect of a tanning product. They then established that the filters are: "misleadingly exaggerated the effect the product was capable of achieving."

Reactions To The Ruling

The brand Skinny Tan, which posted one of the sponsored stories examined by ASA, accepted the decision stating:

"The intention behind the particular Instagram stories in question was not to mislead but rather to share [the influencer's] positive comments and experience with using our products, we do fully understand our responsibility as a brand to protect consumer interests".

Naturally, Sasha Pallari rejoiced at the important result of her campaign, telling BBC News that she was "over the moon". Commenting on the ruling, she declared:

"I feel like the detrimental effect this is having on social media users has finally been taken seriously and this is a huge step in the right direction for how filters are used and the way cosmetics are advertised online."

"I can now help make a difference to how these women view themselves in the mirror and that's amazing."

Just The First Step

For the make-up artist, this is just the first step towards promoting more inclusive and realistic beauty standards. From her unfiltered selfies to her fiery message, this is just the beginning of her battle for body positivity.

After this, her next goal is to say goodbye to "face-altering filters" on Instagram altogether. Many suggest that because of them, more people decide to have plastic surgery.

Although it is not yet clear how Instagram will work to apply the new advertising standards, influencers will have to adapt to the rules. Might this be the beginning of the end for impossibly silky-skinned Instagram faces?