11.01.17
Dove body wash may be for everybody, but Unilever didn’t do such a great job conveying that message in a recent Facebook ad. A social media outcry over an advertisement for Dove body wash which showed a black woman removing her top to reveal a white woman has escalated into a public relations disaster for the brand. Some social media users said it reminded them of racist soap adverts from the 19th century or early 20th century that showed black people scrubbing their skin to become white.
Dove removed the clip and apologized, saying on Twitter that the post had “missed the mark in representing women of color thoughtfully.” Still, in their haste to condemn, many Facebook accusers missed the fact that the white woman morphed into an Asian woman in the spot.
“The short video was intended to convey that Dove body wash is for every woman and be a celebration of diversity, but we got it wrong,” Dove said in a statement.
Dove removed the clip and apologized, saying on Twitter that the post had “missed the mark in representing women of color thoughtfully.” Still, in their haste to condemn, many Facebook accusers missed the fact that the white woman morphed into an Asian woman in the spot.
“The short video was intended to convey that Dove body wash is for every woman and be a celebration of diversity, but we got it wrong,” Dove said in a statement.