Dove has been forced to apologise after suffering a huge backlash for an advert it posted onto Facebook. The video showed a black woman removing her top to reveal a white woman underneath – and it was, understandably, deemed to be racist by many.
“An image we recently posted on Facebook missed the mark in representing women of colour thoughtfully,” Dove said on Twitter. “We deeply regret the offence caused.”
The rest of the advert showed the white woman taking her top off to reveal an Asian woman. Dove said it was supposed to show diversity and depict the idea that the lotion works with all skin tones, however, quite the opposite message came across.
have you even seen the full ad? pic.twitter.com/Ah6aY8nunE
— ζんﾑㄎ乇 ｱ (@ChaseHenryP) October 8, 2017
Even if it was not the intention, the advert could clearly be compared to historically racist adverts depicting soap turning black people white.
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Hey @Dove don't tell me that your CEOs, board members and commercial team didn't make it through elementary school! #boycottDove pic.twitter.com/9C3VP1MlHd
— Kilian Colin (@Kiliantcolin) October 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/immbition/status/917308979541245952
Despite Dove deleting the video and apologising, many Twitter users have pointed out that this is not the first time the brand has “missed the mark” when it comes to race. In 2011, it came under fire for an advert which appeared to show the transition of a black woman becoming white from using its body wash. The brand has also come under scrutiny for having a lotion that reads for “normal to dark skin”.
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You have done it in the past.🙄 pic.twitter.com/qaGG10bePw
— 😬 (@N0n0zA) October 7, 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
https://twitter.com/ParisLibby/status/917271741784760321
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From: Harper’s BAZAAR UK
