Hasta La Creative!

Here’s the newest example of a clever invention that shouldn’t have to exist.

Undercover Colors is a line of chemically enhanced nail polish currently being developed by undergrads at North Carolina State University. The polish can reportedly detect the presence of date-rape drugs such as (one would assume) rohypnol in drinks and change color to indicate a warning. 

So far, few details have been announced about the product, which a spokesperson tells the Triangle Business Journal is “in the R&D stage.” It got an early boost by winning a university entrepreneurship challenge called the Lulu eGames and from an early investor who contributed $100,000, the business journal reports.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the most frequently cited drugs used to incapacitate sexual assault victims are rohypnol (illegal in the U.S.), GHB (legal as a narcolepsy treatment) and ketamine (legal as an anesthetic for humans and animals).

So, it’s reasonable to guess that the Undercover Colors team is trying to develop a product that will react to those three drugs, possibly along with ecstasy (MDMA).

The nail polish, while innovative, is likely to re-open two long-running debates about date-rape drugs and rape prevention:

First, our society shouldn’t need tools to prevent rape, such as the recently launched Guardian Angel necklace that quietly alerts friends that the wearer is in trouble. 

Second, date-rape drugs are far more rare than pop culture often leads us to believe. Reliable numbers are notoriously hard to come by, but a 2007 survey of female sexual assault victims attending colleges found that only 0.6 percent were sure they’d been slipped a drug, while another 1.7 percent suspected they had been given a drug. 

In that same survey, 82 percent of victims reported being drunk, a stat which USA Today featured in its 2013 article about how alcohol is the most common drug used in sexual assault. “Roofies are very rarely—if ever—seen in real life,” an investigator told the newspaper.

Anyone who’s been active in rape prevention efforts knows that discussing alcohol can be volatile and extremely divisive. Pointing out the role of alcohol is often seen as synonymous with victim blaming, while the image of someone covertly spiking a drink with a dissolvable powder clearly conveys who’s at fault, making it a popular plot line for party-boy villains in movies and TV. 

(Quick sidebar with a real-world example: A male friend of mine was actually drugged by two women while visiting Eastern Europe. He was with two friends, whom the girls had convinced to drink some very strong alcohol until they were incapacitated. When the girls realized mid-evening that my friend wasn’t drinking, they made him some hot tea. He passed out, woke up the next day to find their luggage stolen, and a doctor told him he almost certainly would have died if he’d had another cup of the drugged tea. So, it happens, but not always in the situations you might expect.)  

If Undercover Colors becomes a national product, it’s hard to imagine many potential customers rushing out to buy it. In the end, if you’re careful enough to be mindful of being drugged, you’re probably careful enough to open, make or pour your own drink and politely decline anything else.

Hat tip to my friend Clair McLafferty, who among other things writes about cocktail science for Mental Floss.

A cosmetics company telling its fans to focus on inner beauty? That sounds a bit like Krispy Kreme urging patrons to sign up for Pilates classes, but it seems to be working.

The "Inner Beauty Challenge" from California-based Benefit Cosmetics presents girls with a new daily challenge that celebrates, you guessed it, inner beauty. Challenges range from "Post Positivity" to "Lend a Hand," with video encouragement from a popular beauty vlogger or even a Hollywood celebrity like "Jessie" star Debby Ryan. The promotion is co-sponsored by actress Brittany Snow's nonprofit, Love Is Louder, dedicated to encouraging positivity among young women.

Participants post a photo on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #innerbeauties, and thanks to the brand's popularity and the star power it recruited, quite a few entries have been submitted. Prizes include cosmetic kits ranging in price from $200 to $600. 

It's an interesting statement from a brand whose success is dependent on women purchasing cosmetics to enhance or improve their appearance. I like this approach from Benefit, especially for girls who are growing up in an era of Instagram selfies and pretty-people-on-the-Internet overload. It gives off a "makeup is important, but not that important" vibe, and applauding positivity should always be encouraged, especially among the high school set. 

Vinny Guadagnino of Jersey Shore stars as a well-endowed yoga hunk in this decidedly unique Benefit Cosmetics spot for They're Real! mascara. The ad opens to hunky dude ogling, which is oh so trendy right now. But it wastes no time focusing right on their man candy, as all the ladies around them become visibly excited. Then the men reach into their pants and pull out … a handful of mascara tubes to toss to the women—delivering the message that their bulges might be fake but your lashes could be nice. Or perhaps the message is the tagline: "Laughter is the best cosmetic."

The agency, Portal A, also roped in actor Simon Rex (aka Dirt Nasty) and Vine-famous comedian Brittany Furlan to round out the cameos. Benefit is doing exactly the right kind of things to draw attention to its tiny, feisty brand, but the spot doesn't go quite far enough to be funny or outrageous. Vinny, in particular, comes off as inexplicably suave as he winks in tree pose. Maybe they should have just let Brittany make five six-second Vines and call it a day. Her Vines about the spot are hilars.

Contract disputes can be a pain especially for chosen endorsers and in this case, actress Uma Thurman sued Lancome regarding an advertising dispute. Apparently, the French cosmetic giant has made quite a profit from using her name and likeness despite the lapse of the contract between the two.

Many people would care less if such a boom would be evident. But in this case, Lancome continues its advertising ways despite the end of the contract with Thurman which the latter resented. In the world of showbiz, you have to honor your contract. If not, expect heads to roll. Such is a familiar face in the world of advertising and promotions.

The “Kill Bill” star said in her lawsuit that Lancome Parfums et Beaute & Cie boosted its worldwide sales and enhanced its “prestige, stature and bargaining power” by helping retailers and others use her name and likeness in advertising and promotions after her contract expired.

The suit seeks $15 million in damages.

(Source) The Associated Press

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