It is a symbol of luxury and irresistible glamour. Most people associate it with the most famous celebrities, fashion, elegant clothes. The red carpet is a place where fans swarm, photographers take pictures of smiling celebrities, journalists think of captions to add to articles about the most interesting outfits. But perfectly groomed icons are just an elaborate strategy hiding behind glitz and glamour.

Do you think celebrities get out of a limo, walk down the red carpet and in the process have several photos taken of them looking naturally gorgeous? Wrong. Everything that happens here is perfectly planned, the photos are taken on multiple occasions, the resulting photos and videos may look great, but that’s only because they were taken on multiple occasions.

It’s not a fashion event, it’s a marketing tool

Many people think that the red carpet is primarily a place for celebrities to show up in perfect outfits, to impress fans with their fashion taste, that it is an elegant and luxurious showcase of the best of the showbiz world. But in reality, it’s all about marketing, all about money.

Production companies, fashion designers and film studios use every second to promote their products. The dresses, jewellery and even the poses of celebrities are designed to catch the attention of the media and social networks. Although the photographs circulating around the internet evoke a sense of natural beauty, they really just make everyone think about why celebrities look so great.

And many people look for the answer in clicking on a link with expensive jewelry or fashion pieces. Because who wouldn’t want to wear clothes or jewelry from designers who work with famous celebrities?

The choice of celebrities is also key

Not everyone gets to walk the red carpet. Celebrity selection is key. Those who might spoil the image of a film or TV show simply don’t get the opportunity to get in front of photographers, or are photographed in a hurry, they get their pictures taken, but then they are definitely not promoted as much as others.

PR teams are selective about who gets to represent the event, and often edit out details like make-up and hairstyles. In addition, they also tell celebrities how to behave, how and when to smile, how to walk the carpet, who to talk to.

Red carpet photographs often take dozens of attempts. ━━ Red carpet photographs often take dozens of attempts. ( Source: Evannovostro / Shutterstock )

Media and social networks as tools of deception

The aim of a red carpet event is usually to create a unified, controlled visual experience that appears spontaneous but is in fact carefully crafted by a number of people. Moreover, photos are often heavily edited afterwards before being posted on social media. Perfectly lit images and strategically chosen angles ensure flawlessness.

Although many people realize that perfect photos are just an illusion, and advertising them is something that only deters them from giving the images a thumbs up or a heart, most fans go crazy over things like this. The red carpet in America is not a spontaneous celebration of fashion or film. It’s a delusion that the great mass of people accept without giving it much thought.