Recently, in a CNBC article, author, Lucy Handley, stated that a three second Dove advertisement was posted on Facebook, portraying “a black woman turning white after using one of its body washes” which led to the ad being criticized and considered as racist. As the black woman in the advertisement takes off her brown colored shirt, she proceeds to turn into a white woman.
This particular body wash advertisement does look racist and can be taken by offense, however, showing racism was not Dove’s intention. The black woman in the commercial has spoken her part involved, and claimed that she is not a victim.
In a New York Times article, author, Maggie Astor, claimed that “the transition from the black woman to the white women — compiled into a static collage by a social media user — evoked a long-running racist trope in soap advertising: a “dirty” black person cleansed into whiteness.”
A YouTube user, named Kat Ritter, commented on a video posted about the issue presented, and said, “Bullshit. It is not racist!! to me it shows how the product is for all skin type, skin tones, and women!!” Ritter’s theory of the advertisement video shows that the product is meant for everyone, no matter the color of their skin.
In the same New York Times article as stated before, author, Maggie Astor, mentioned that a spokeswoman for Dove, named Marissa Solan, has also recently spoken up about the advertisement, and had said that the commercial “was intended to convey that Dove Body Wash is for every woman and be a celebration of diversity, but we got it wrong and, as a result, offended many people.”
The black model from the Dove body wash advertisement, Lola Ogunyemi, came forward, as well, and had claimed that she was not a victim, and that the meaning behind the video was misinterpreted. In an article she has written for The Guardian, she had mentioned, “Having the opportunity to represent my dark-skinned sisters in a global beauty brand felt like the perfect way for me to remind the world that we are here, we are beautiful, and more importantly, we are valued… the experience I had with the Dove team was positive. I had an amazing time on set. All of the women in the shoot understood the concept and overarching objective – to use our differences to highlight the fact that all skin deserves gentleness…I am not just some silent victim of a mistaken beauty campaign. I am strong, I am beautiful, and I will not be erased.”
Many of the people who have seen this commercial, have definitely viewed it as racist. I do agree with the fact that the body wash advertisement that Dove has posted does look racist and can be taken by offense, but I cannot agree with the fact that showing racism was their main intention. Although there has definitely been opposite views on this topic/issue, the people who didn’t take offense to it saw the video as a way to show people that Dove body wash is meant for all women, no matter the color of their skin. That right there, was Dove’s intention.
Lola Ogunyemi also stated, “While I agree with Dove’s response to unequivocally apologise for any offense caused, they could have also defended their creative vision, and their choice to include me, an unequivocally dark-skinned black woman, as a face of their campaign. I am not just some silent victim of a mistaken beauty campaign. I am strong, I am beautiful, and I will not be erased.”
