Ugly Love

From beauty pageants to canine contests, almost anything ugly attracts attention

Implications - Ordinary, or even ugly, is being considered attractive. This growing trend may be driven by a combination of curiosity and the human need to relate, as the majority of the population doesn’t fall under the typical beauty umbrella personified in mainstream media today. Our culture is learning to embrace all physical attributes as beautiful; it is a celebration of uniqueness rather than adaptation of industry standards. In order to gain favor with the masses, companies are looking for representative icons that make people feel good about themselves rather than inferior, particularly with the physical traits generally association with beauty.
Trend Themes
1. Embracing Uniqueness - The trend towards embracing all physical attributes as beautiful rather than adapting to industry standards creates an opportunity to cater to a more diverse audience outside of traditional beauty standards.
2. Reality Check for Society - The trend of debunking the myth of perfect beauty by showcasing unconventional images through celebrity culture jamming or intentionally ugly products aims to create a healthy alternative reality for society.
3. Challenging Industry Standards - The trend of intentionally creating ugly products or celebrating unconventional beauty standards in modeling, art, and packaging design challenges industry standards and offers opportunities for innovation in marketing and design.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion and Beauty - The fashion and beauty industry can benefit from embracing uniqueness and catering to a diverse audience outside of traditional beauty standards by creating inclusive marketing campaigns and products.
2. Art and Design - The art and design industry can challenge conventional standards by celebrating the unconventional and creating intentionally ugly products that break away from aesthetic norms.
3. Marketing and Advertising - Marketing and advertising professionals can embrace unconventional beauty standards and leverage reality checks for society to create innovative and effective campaigns that resonate with a diverse audience.
5.2
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
12 Featured, 11 Examples:
699,922 Total Clicks
Date Range:
Mar 07 — Sep 08
Trending:
V. Hot

Featured Examples

play_circle_filledDurex Puts Ugly on Your Pillow
Durex Puts Ugly on Your Pillow
"Last Longer" Campaign
It may be counterintuitive, but the folks at Durex in New Zealand have boosted their condom sales 28% by giving away pillowcases with realistic images of rather unattractive people on them. But you know… MORE
Making Celebrities Ugly
Making Celebrities Ugly
Planet Hiltron
Planet Hiltron is a blog dedicated to reverting the flawless images of celebrities that we are constantly bombarded with. A kind of celebrity culture jamming which shows the true powers of Photoshop.… MORE
Cruel Ugliness Cures
Cruel Ugliness Cures
The Genuine Ugly Bag
I can’t believe the Ugly Bag is a real product. The Genuine Ugly Bag in the “Heavy Duty for Extra Ugliness” variety, has a sketch of a woman on it, with petite facial features... MORE
Ugly Pageants
Ugly Pageants
The Award for the Ugliest Icelandic Native Goes to...
Just a week ago Trend Hunter brought you Depth of Beauty Pageants, which are focused on inner beauty. Now, a town in Iceland is focused on the opposite; outer ugly. An article on Yahoo! tells about a… MORE
Unlikely Supermodels (UPDATE)
Unlikely Supermodels (UPDATE)
Ugly Agency Specializes in Odd Characters
Long ago, Trend Hunter introduced you to Ugly Modeling Agency, but today we are updating with a video and sample models. Ugly was founded in 1969. No, it’s not that before that people weren’t ugly...… MORE
Ugly Pizza
Ugly Pizza
Difficult Branding?
This has got be one of the most challenging packaging art directions ever. I mean, what direction do you go when the name of the pizza is UGLY? Let’s start with the brand name. Ugly Pizza is a new product… MORE
Ugly Necklace Competitions
Ugly Necklace Competitions
8th Annual Contest Honouring Hideous Jewelry
The 2010 Ugly Necklace Competition is now accepting entries for the 8th annual event. This quirky competition brings contestants from all over to compare their interesting (hideous) creations on the Land… MORE
Showcasing Ugly Art
Showcasing Ugly Art
MUMOK's Bad Painting-Good Art Exhibition
I think many of us have gone through the experience of going to a museum or to one of those ultra hip “art galleries” and finding ourselves saying, “What is this crap? This isn’t art. This is total… MORE
play_circle_filledUgly Sweater Love
Ugly Sweater Love
The Holiday Sweater Song
If you secretly love ugly Christmas sweaters too, then you'll appreciate the Holiday Sweater Song. "Between finding two girls who would make out, begging and scratching for 'holiday sweater' sing-a-long… MORE
Ugly is the New Hot
Ugly is the New Hot
Modern Studies on Ugliness
We can’t deny that we are fascinated with beauty.  One look at Hollywood and the consensus is clear.  Beautiful is hot, ugly is not. Or is it?  Academics, lawyers and other dispensers of truth are beginning… MORE
Ugly Food Glasses
Ugly Food Glasses
Blue Shade Glasses Help You Lose Weight?
Scientific research has found blue to be the least appetizing color. This is the basis behind these blue shaded sunglasses. Supposedly, the person who wears these shades sees an ugly hue of blue that brings… MORE
play_circle_filledIntentionally Ugly Power Strips
Intentionally Ugly Power Strips
Standby Surge Protector
What's red, long, bendy, and shockingly useful? The Standby surge protector! This utility strip wasn't made to tidy up your peripheral cords or hide the mass of wires behind your home stereo system.… MORE