Nivea Pulls Controversial Ad After Claims of Racism
Skin care product maker Nivea found itself in hot water this week when the black blogosphere got a hold of an arguably racist print ad for men’s grooming products that was printed in Esquire magazine. The advert features a clean-cut black man tossing a disembodied black man’s head with an unkempt Afro and beard– the tagline is “Re-Civilize Yourself.” Clearly the folks Nivea didn’t realized that grooming, especially when coupled with the insinuation that long kink hair is uncivilized can be a touchy subject for African-Americans.
Realizing how the company had erred Nivea released a statement on their Facebook page on yesterday and has decided to stop running the ad immediately.
From Nivea USA’s Facebook page”
“Thank you for caring enough to give us your feedback about the recent ‘Re-civilized’ NIVEA FOR MEN ad. This ad was inappropriate and offensive. It was never out intention to offend anyone, and for this we are deeply sorry. This ad will never be used again. Diversity and equal opportunity are crucial values of our company.”
In addition a spokesperson for Nivea USA’s German parent company Beiersdorf AG, released the following statement:
“We are deeply sorry for a recent ‘Re-civilized’ NIVEA For Men ad. This ad was inappropriate and offensive. Diversity and equal opportunity are crucial values at Beiersdorf and we do not tolerate insensitivity. It was never our intention to offend anyone and for this we are deeply sorry. This ad will never be used again.”
Was the ad really offensive? Are we being too sensitive? Leave a comment below and tell us what you think.
Yeah I think it is a bit offensive. Even black people judge each other by appearance. In a snap judgement most people would think that a clean low cut black man is more professional and even smarter than one with a large head of hair that can seem unkept. This ad promotes that stereotype. Stereotypes and racist notions usually don’t bother me but in this case it does a bit, mainly because I can’t think of what that ad would look like for another race. What would a white equivalent be? I don’t mind demographic specific ads but just be careful.
Hellz yeah. It’s one thing to show a bro getting rid of his afro with the tagline “look like you give a damn”, which wasn’t used in this photo and would have been more appropriate. It’s another to suggest that brothas with afros aren’t civilized, and that, judging by the picture, a more eurocentric style is the ideal type.
I gald they pulled the ad but again in the year 2011 if your organization has a person or persons that you are paying to come up with things of this nature then what does it real say about your diversity. Yes it should always be offensive when you have to lower your expectations to make a point the product has been around to long to not beable to get the attention it deserves.
What brain-dead person would think of an ad like this without the common sense to know it is seriously offensive? It insinuates that a black man is barbaric because he is holding a decapitated head in his hand with the added insult that his natural hair is abnormal.