It’s a well-known fact that most of the beauty brands sell their products by shaming people having dark skin and promising them a bright, glowing screen through the use of their product. Recently, a lot of products and beauty cremes have received flak in India for their ads which glorifies the fair skin and in a way or other promotes racism.
Dove’s latest campaign on social media also faced criticism for showing a black woman converting into white after using its product. The racist ad has 4 images which show a black woman undressing to reveal a white woman after using Dove.
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
Obviously, people were quick enough to point out the racist ad by the brand and they also dug out the old campaign by Dove and other companies which were racist in nature
Dove marketing execs approving that racist ad pic.twitter.com/JNu0zvha9w
— Laura Dowrich (@ldowrich) October 8, 2017
You have done it in the past.🙄 pic.twitter.com/qaGG10bePw
— N Mabhena🇿🇼 (@N0n0zA) October 7, 2017
— jonalisa (@jonalisag) 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
Here are some racist ads by brands from the past
Again. There is a history of racism in cleansing products. No way anyone didn’t notice that in the dove ad pic.twitter.com/rXNd6144V3
— George M Johnson (@IamGMJohnson) October 8, 2017
the racist dove ad is a continuation of a long history of racist soap advertising pic.twitter.com/nO7iDT7dxH
— /kaw·reɪdʒ/ (@kawrage) October 8, 2017
The Facebook video has now been removed, but Nay the mua, an American makeup artist,
noticed the photos come up on her social feed and shared them with her followers.
“So I’m scrolling through Facebook and this is the #dove ad that comes up…. ok so what am I looking at,” she wrote in her photo’s caption
After the brand received backlash Dove deleted the ad and issued an apology,
saying, “An image we recently posted on Facebook missed the mark in representing women of color thoughtfully. We deeply regret the offense it caused.”
An image we recently posted on Facebook missed the mark in representing women of color thoughtfully. We deeply regret the offense it caused.
— Dove (@Dove) October 7, 2017
According to a BBC report, Dove further said in a statement: “This did not represent the diversity of real beauty which is something Dove is passionate about and is core to our beliefs, and it should not have happened. “We have removed the post and have not published any other related content. We apologize deeply and sincerely for the offense that it has caused.”
Looking at the number of such ads by beauty companies it surely doesn’t come as a surprise from Dove.These brands need to understand, with the world being more connected through social media people are now aware of these tactics by brands and they can’t sell their beauty product to them by shaming them for what they are!
