Dove has apologised after huge backlash against an advert which showed a black woman removing her top to reveal a white woman underneath.
The online advertising campaign was criticised as ‘racist’ as it looked as though the woman changed skin tone after using the lotion. It has since been removed from Facebook and Dove tweeted: ‘An image we recently posted on Facebook missed the mark in representing women of colour thoughtfully. ‘We deeply regret the offence it caused.
’ The full advert showed the white woman taking off her top to change into an Asian woman, and the intention seems to have been to show that the lotion works with all skin tones. However, people pointed out that numerous racist adverts in the past have sold soap by saying it can turn black skin white, and that Dove should have realised people would call it out.
A complete historical view is always important. #Dove pic.twitter.com/1vAxvGy0bh
— Kristina Chäadé Dove (@KristinaCDove) October 8, 2017
Dove apologised for ‘racist’ Facebook advert showing a black woman turning white after using @Dove lotion. pic.twitter.com/NGXyhnGuBZ
— Habeeb Akande (@Habeeb_Akande) October 8, 2017
Dove marketing execs approving that racist ad pic.twitter.com/JNu0zvha9w
— Laura Dowrich (@ldowrich) October 8, 2017
Okay, Dove…
One racist ad makes you suspect.
Two racist ads makes you kinda guilty. pic.twitter.com/hAwNCN84h2— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) October 8, 2017
You have done it in the past.🙄 pic.twitter.com/qaGG10bePw
— Nonhlanhla Mabhena (@N0n0zA) October 7, 2017
It is not the first time Dove has been accused of being insensitive about race. A lotion was sold as ‘for normal to dark skin’, while another advert showed a ‘before and after’ with a black woman stood under the ‘before’ and a white woman under ‘after’.
It was intended to show people had smoother skin after using the lotion.
Dove was responding to criticism after the image was shared widely on social media. Twitter user La’Quell, using the handle @Caramelxotic posted: ‘@Dove care to explain this racist Ad to me.’ Emma Louise Sinclair, under the username @EmmsyLou13, tweeted: ‘This is a @Dove ad …. what the actual f, never using a product from a bunch of Racist people again #Dove #racist.’
source: metro.co.uk
