Stories From The Stacks

Forget Hollywood superstars. In the 1960s, women around the world wanted a sense of normality when they consumed cosmetics. As the Avon company attempted to win consumers for its mass-produced goods in Latin America and Europe, it adapted its marketing materials to reflect the segmentation of local and changing global ideals of beauty. In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, historian Emanuela Scarpellini, professor at the University of Milan, discusses how Avon planned its expansion overseas from the United States, and adapted to the context of a global marketplace. Monochromatic American ideals of beauty did not necessarily match those of other cultures, yet American goods enjoyed global cachet that added to their perceived value. Easing the tension between these push and pull factors were the Avon ladies, the sales agents that the company relied upon to retail its products, and to communicate with and cultivate consumers. Using Hagley Library collections, including Avon Products, Inc., and the Ern