In 1994 a new “supermodel” led a campaign for MAC Cosmetics in a red leather corset, matching thigh high boots, and disheveled blonde hair similar to Pamela Anderson’s. Posing their body in the shape of letters- including spreading their legs to make the v’s- the campaign’s name Viva Glam was spelt out. It was provocative, bold, and… RuPaul in drag. At the time competitor brands like Revlon, Chanel, and Clinique used high fashion models with uncontroversial images, like Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista, to advertise their products. This was the first time a man or a drag queen was the face of a beauty campaign.
The campaign’s purpose was just as bold as the imagery. Matching in colour with the corset and boots, MAC was selling a new lipstick shade named after the campaign. The intention was that all proceeds of this lipstick would be going towards the newly created MAC aids fund to fight back against the HIV and AIDs pandemic. The name Viva Glam perfectly encapsulated the company’s purpose: Viva meaning to live which represents their spirit and fight against a deadly disease, and Glam being the obvious connection towards their work as a makeup company to represent beauty.
MAC’s campaign being the first to acknowledge drag as a form of beauty, and the first to shine a light on Aids/HIV, was a trailblazing tactic that shows authenticity. They garnered attention for being pro LGBTQ+ amidst a culture of homophobia and were marked as trendsetters who, as they put it, are willing to “put your money where your mouth is.” Being founded by two gay men (Frank Angelo and Frank Toskan) and consistently advertising themselves as inclusive with their tagline being, “ALL RACES, ALL AGES, ALL SEXES,” only proved themselves to be more trustworthy to their consumer base.
That being said the marketing campaign employed more than political promotion- it was also visually based. This was especially important for MAC because of several reasons. The first is that the Viva Glam campaign predated social media, in which case their main form of advertisement would be from magazine ads, billboards, and television commercials. Their styling and photography would have to capture people’s attention upon first look. The second reason is that beauty and visual appeal is integral to the product they are selling- makeup. For this campaign MAC used provocative imagery to allure consumers. RuPaul’s vixen look alone would have been enough to catch their eye.
In the years since MACs first Viva Glam campaign they have let their celebrity endorsers play the role of creative director- meaning they choose the shade of lipstick that will be produced, their photographer, outfit, makeup, and additional charities to promote. It is unclear if the same privileges were given to RuPaul in 1994, but one was guaranteed and it was the drag queens personal stylist. For this campaign he was dressed by fashion designer Zaldy who had been styling him since they met in the 80s. Zaldy described his looks for RuPaul as, “Big blond hair, a teeny tiny waist and long, long legs. It has grown from there, but it’s really just Pam Anderson extremely stretched out.”
Of course this was no different for the Viva Glam shoot. The look is similar to Andersons at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, though it predates hers by a year. He wears a tight red leather corset, matching thigh high boots, and a messy, platinum blonde wig. The shade of red is a deep brick colour with blue undertones to match the lipstick. The most striking and now famous of the photographs taken displays RuPaul posing his body to form the shapes of letters that spell out Viva Glam. In a suggestive (more like completely obvious) manner he lays on his back and spreads his legs in the air to create the shape for the v’s. Red being a powerful and passionate color, the dominatrix-esque clothing, and the overtly sexual poses all contribute to the campaign’s essence of sex sells. This was a smart aesthetic to use when considering that their competitors, Chanel and Clinique, advertised themselves as more refined and feminine despite the culture having turned towards grunge and sex. However, they also employed humor with the model being a drag queen, and the poses being so exaggerated they’re somewhat comical- which ultimately would help with likability.
Another important detail to add is that the lipstick upon its release was limited edition. This is a tactic many brands use to draw in more consumers because it creates a sense of urgency. Some would have bought the lipstick at its release regardless, but many others who would have debated the purchase are now more likely to give in because they are afraid they’ll miss the opportunity. In the years since, MAC has continued to do this specifically when a celebrity is attached to the makeup product. This creates even more buzz from fans who want limited or rare merchandise from the public figure they admire. The cycle keeps going when MAC re-releases famous shades, which brings in another type of buyer who wants to get in on the nostalgia and have a piece of iconography.
Mac said that the shade of red being so intense for the original Viva Glam lipstick was a, “loud and proud declaration of protest.” The marketing that was representative of expressing different forms of sexuality was authentic to the brand’s ethos and RuPaul’s persona. When creating Mac and Viva Glam the Franks saw room in the market to “create something that brought the art of self-expression, creativity, and artistry to the world through inclusivity. Until that point, there was no global beauty brand that truly embraced the idea of beauty for every gender, every size, every shape, and every color.”
The campaign was incredibly successful from multiple standpoints. They met their goal of raising money to help victims suffering through the AIDs crisis. By 1997 the MAC Aids Fund had made $5.5 million. The longevity of the campaign allowed for even more money to be raised- making over $520 million from its inception to recent figures. MAC also allows their celebrity representatives for Viva Glam to choose additional charities to represent. Funds from the Viva Glam campaign help 19 million people every year. In the UK and Ireland they have raised $25 million for local charities that pertain to sexual, gender, racial, and environmental issues.
MAC already had heavy ties with the queer community being founded by two gay men and having their first store on Gay Street in New York City. Through the Viva Glam campaign the company further established themselves among LGBTQ+ consumers. According to MAC the Viva Glam campaign “created significant buzz and rallied millions of people behind the cause, which is exactly what we needed at the time.” Members of the community who had been turned away elsewhere could invest in MAC. “(The) makeup industry excluded members of the lesbian/gay communities. Part of the community themselves’ (the founders), they sought to create products that were fun for artists and inclusive to all demographics.” And more demographics equals more money- especially when no other company is making products for them. Whereas most beauty brands skew female (and all of them did in the 90s) MAC’s gender based demographic is nearly split. Only half- 51.8%- of their consumers are women.
In 1995 the cosmetic company recognised RuPaul as the “first face of MAC.” The marketing campaign would inspire a list of celebrities that were either members of the LGBTQ+ community, female, of colour, or just an ally, to back the cause. In the year after the launch of Viva Glam, MAC rose to prominence for its enlistment of Hollywood fame. Fashion labels wanted to get in on the cause; established designers like Vivienne Westwood and Marc Jacobs began collaborating with them. The brand was also bought out by a larger company: “Estee Lauder purchased 51% of MAC Cosmetics to widen the conglomerate’s brand portfolio. Estee Lauder was looking for a range of companies that would appeal to segmented demographics and MAC was the perfect fit to grow the conglomerate’s customer base to include makeup artists.”
Although the success of Viva Glam isn’t just shown by the success of the business behind it, but by the campaign’s actual prominence in pop culture. Photographs from the campaign are recognizable today. It’s one thing to make a large sum of money from marketing, and it’s another to have a lasting impact on a whole entire community and change the way that industry runs. 30 years later the campaign is still going, with its annual launches enticing new stars to join the club. According to John Demsey, who has been working with Mac since 1998 as the executive group president of Estée Lauder, “It’s funny when we do award show red carpets, because about 75 percent of the celebrities have been associated with MAC at some point in their career. We’ve had amazing spokespeople like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Elton John, and Lil’ Kim, all who aren’t afraid to speak out just like us.” Many successful celebrities have made their mark on the company; Rihanna’s campaign made $40 million alone. The catalyst for their cultural significance was Viva Glam.
The impact of the Viva Glam campaign was a domino effect that has shaped MAC today. Although it was also a pivotal moment for the LGBTQ+ community. Having a black drag queen like RuPaul as the cover girl was a representation of the different forms of beauty and a statement telling consumers it’s ok to be bold and unique. The LGBTQ+ community has always been prominent in the beauty industry and Hollywood, and though their art is admired they were not. MAC was the only brand of their time to show marginalised people that they supported them by donating the proceeds of the lipstick to aid against a deadly pandemic that was whipping them out. Viva Glam also ultimately shaped MAC’s reputation as a powerful, expressive, and sexual brand when it comes to their advocacy, products, and ads. During this time MAC became “the color authority of the 1990’s beauty industry.” With a revolving door of celebrities who wanted to work with them, and collaborations with other brands in the fashion industry like Marc Jacobs and Vivienne Westwood, it’s unmistakable that MAC became the biggest cosmetics company of the 1990s.