Gay Representation in Cosmetic Product Ads

Nowadays, advertising is a persuasive method used by businesses to raise brand awareness; it can also contain specific ideological themes. Advertising imagery isnei-ther a mirror or a sort of reflection, but rather the fabrication of social reality. Human figures are used in advertisements to disseminate ideologies. So, this research look at the upscale cosmetic company YSL Beauty, which casts American musician and rap-per Lil Nas X as a gay character at the video “Beauty as a force for change”. This re-search using semiotic analysis by Roland Barthes. The semiotic analysis by Roland Barthes has observe the system of meaning phases as a the method of data analysis. The meaning system has two levels, connotative and denotative. This study found that these commercials show a gay person living an LGBT life who nonetheless en-counters violent crime, prejudice, discrimination and other unpleasant conduct. In fact, the fulfillment of human rights is the most important thing that still cannot be felt by LGBT people. These rights include rights in the enjoyment of social, political, economic rights, freedom of speech, and so on. Yet, YSL and Lil Nas stand for a gay man who is brave enough to reveal his identity despite the danger and ongoing un-easiness. How ever, there is still faith and hope that there will come a time when the LGBT people also has a better life, free from abuse, prejudice and discrimination.