Dove apologises for 'racist' body wash ad

The skincare company says the ad did not represent the diversity of 'real beauty... it should not have happened'

09 Oct, 2017

Personal care brand Dove has apologised for an advert that showed a black woman removing a top to reveal a white woman underneath, following accusations of racism.

The three-second video clip appeared in the United States on the social networking site Facebook.

Dove said on Twitter that it had "missed the mark in representing women of colour thoughtfully" and deeply regretted any offence caused.

The body wash ad showed a black woman removing her top, revealing a white woman underneath. She then took off her t-shirt, showing a third woman underneath.

"Ready for a Dove shower? Sulfate free with 100 percent gentle cleansers, our body wash gets top marks from dermatologists," the advert said.

The Dove brand, owned by Rotterdam-based food and consumer products giant Unilever, which is listed on the London and Amsterdam stock exchanges, apologised after several people on social media deemed the advert racist.

"As a part of a campaign for Dove body wash, a three-second video clip was posted to the US Facebook page," a statement said.

"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 apologise deeply and sincerely for the offence that it has caused."

Unilever was slightly down in a stable market at the opening of the London stock exchange on Monday, as the hashtag #boycottdove circulated on social media.

The Dove page on Unilever's website begins: "Dove believes that beauty is not one dimensional; it is not defined by your age, the shape or size of your body, the colour of your skin or your hair."

Comments

Tamilselvan Oct 09, 2017 11:01pm

Best way to teach them a lesson is to stop buying their products

Recommend

anonymouseeee Oct 10, 2017 12:56am

It's a simple mistake for which they have apologized. Time to move on.

Rahul Oct 10, 2017 05:59am

Nothing racist about preference of a colour. What's racist is discriminating or exploiting.

H. Oct 10, 2017 09:43am

Dove, the milk is already spilled. You can't put it back in the bottle now. Suffer the consequences now.

R S Chakravarti Oct 10, 2017 09:46am

So such ideas are prevalent outside India too!

zakhta Oct 10, 2017 10:17am

what has happened to our world? means conveying a simple message has become so difficult, you have to think about all possible cults in the society before broadcasting/publishing anything? get over it people. stop pointing fingers and become responsible for your own acts and abstinence first.

Khaled Oct 10, 2017 10:25am

Interesting

Hassan Oct 10, 2017 11:59am

@zakhta I don't understand what are you trying to say here. In my point of view it was a mistake by the Company do you think otherwise?

Halima Oct 11, 2017 04:54pm

Dove made a biggest mistake.It should not happen again.

Paxtani Oct 11, 2017 11:39pm

@zakhta “you have to think about all possible cults in the society before broadcasting/publishing anything? ”. Yes, and that is why Dove apologized.... You have no right to discriminate against or give someone else preference based on a trait, like color of your skin, they don’t have control over.