PFAS
Subvertisement, student work for WdKA (2023)
Brief
Use the concept of association through shape to connect two separate objects together into a meaningful campaign.
Objects
A cotton swab and a bone.
Insight
Both cotton swabs and bones can be associated with the harmful impact of the cosmetics industry.
What is used to perfect the surface (cotton swabs) can also pollute what’s beneath (bones).
Concept
This subvertisement recontextualizes popular makeup slogans by overlaying them on images of bones and cotton swabs, symbols linked to both the cosmetic industry and its hidden dangers.
It turns the slogans into warnings, encouraging viewers to question whether cosmetic brands truly prioritize their health.
This project was created in response to a widely discussed report that revealed many popular cosmetics contain toxic, often unlabeled PFAS chemicals.
It was developed within a week of the report’s publication in 2023.