QUESTION3: Paralympian is Lancome's new face

Paralympian swimmer Yip Pin Xiu is the latest face of French cosmetics house Lancome, becoming the first person with disability to be featured in its advertising campaign here.

Marketing experts and charities who work with disabled people say this is the first time they have seen a major beauty company engage a brand ambassador with a disability to front its advertisements here.

Ms Yip, 26, suffers from muscular dystrophy - which causes progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass - and uses a wheelchair.

A spokesperson for Lancome told The Straits Times that Ms Yip was chosen because she is an inspiration to many. "Pin Xiu is a natural fit as she is a force to be reckoned with. Her story is phenomenal and despite all her success, she remains humble, kind- hearted and so positive in anything she embarks on," said the spokesperson.

At the age of 16, Ms Yip won Singapore's first gold medal at the Beijing Paralympics in 2008. She now has four Paralympics medals - three Golds and one Silver. In September this year, she became the youngest Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP), at the age of 26.

Ms Yip is the face of Lancome's latest Love Your Age campaign to promote its anti- aging serum, Advanced Genifique. With newly tested efficacy, and for all skin types, Genifique is a fast-acting anti-aging skin serum that instantly makes skin feel hydrated, smooth and soft, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, revealing more radiant skin in as little as seven-days.

This Love Your Age campaign encourages women to love and embrace who they are and to live their lives to the fullest, regardless of their age. The advertisements featuring Ms Yip were rolled out last week. They were placed on online sites and used in print.

(Adapted for academic purposes from The Straits Times, 01 November 2018)

(a) (i) In designing an advertising campaign, a creative strategy needs to be formulated. Compare informational appeal or transformational appeal and discuss which would be more suitable for Lancome's Love Your Age campaign to promote its anti-aging serum, Advanced Genifique. (7 marks)

(a) (ii) Examine the use of Ms Yip as Lancome's message source for their Love Your Age campaign in terms of her credibility. Provide two (2) reasons to support your answer. (6 marks)

(b)Analyse and propose two (2) other mass communication tools (besides Advertising) that can be employed by Lancome for their Love Your Age campaign to promote their anti-aging serum, Advanced Genifique. (10 marks)

(c)Apply appropriate segmentation variables from at least two (2) segmentation bases to describe one (1) likely target market for Lancome's Advanced Genifique, an anti-aging serum. (7 marks)