Racism in Marketing & Advertising: 4 Ads Gone Wrong

Hello folks, I had been pondering over this for quite some time, and I had been going back and forth on whether to write this or not. But I finally decided that I am going to go ahead and write this because we have a voice for a reason. And if we don’t raise it now, we will never be able to.

So, I am going to start this article with this quote by our very own Muhammad Ali.
 

“Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn’t matter which color does the hating. It’s just plain wrong.” ― Muhammad Ali

 
Sadly, even after years and years of fighting against this discrimination, we are still facing this issue. A lot of protests every now and then to raise awareness on it. The most recent of all was the #BlackLivesMatter campaign which shook all of the USA to its core.

 

The Demon of Discrimination

Racism in Marketing and Advertising USA

As much as we would like to deny it, we can’t change the fact that racism is everywhere.

Maybe not as prominent as it was back in the days when Rosa Parks was supposed to give away her seat on the bus, but it still exists.

And every now and then, there’s some incident that shakes up our entire core and reminds us that our fight for equality and against oppression is a long-going journey.

Be it any industry, from entertainment to real estate to my very favorite marketing and advertising, everyone has experienced some kind of racism at some point in time. Even I being a woman of color have been a witness to racism at some point in my life. Let me tell you about it briefly. 

 

A Personal Account 

So, it might not look like a huge incident to you but it was an incident of racism, one which I will never forget.

I was seventeen at the time, a young Indian woman of color, walking on the streets of Brooklyn, NY towards a store I wanted to explore for the first time.

What happened next was shocking to me because it was the first time I ever experienced something like this. A few older white men were passing by in a car and yelled at me, “THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR YOU, GO BACK TO WHERE YOU HAVE COME FROM” and sped off.

While it took me a while to gather what happened, it is one incident that has always stuck to me since it happened.

And while I am privileged that I have never experienced anything of that kind ever again, there are many who aren’t as privileged as me.

Therefore, as a marketing and advertising professional, I have always made sure that my clients have a marketing and advertising plan in place that is not discriminatory against anyone in any way.

We as professionals have a responsibility that we create ad campaigns for our clients and their target audience that are equally appealing to everyone and not hurting anyone’s sentiments.

However, sometimes, many brands do falter and send out an advertisement that is racist and offensive.

And this is where the others should take lessons for what not to do while designing a marketing and advertising campaign for their target audience.

Let’s see some of the instances where advertising was a breeding ground for racism.

 

Racism in Marketing & Advertising: 4 Ads Gone Wrong

rasism in advertising

 

Beauty whitewashing - Loreal’ 2008

In 2008, Loreal received an intense backlash when they published a brighter-skinned version of Beyonce.

Beyonce, the brand ambassador for Loreal products appeared in one of their advertisements for a feria highlighting kit which gave her strawberry blonde hair. But her skin was made to look lighter than her natural skin and that is what didn’t sit well with the audience.

Owing to that, the advertisement and the company received severe backlash for coming off as racist and setting white supremacy as the beauty goal for women.

However, Loreal denied all the claims of photoshopping of any kind, but it did receive widespread attention and for all the wrong reasons.

It was said to be an act of racial stereotyping and needless to say it definitely did look like one.

 


This is one of the most racist and offensively stereotypical advertisements I have ever come across.

There were a series of advertisements from a brand called Chicago Lake Liquors, they had white people stereotyping African-Americans style, like raps, slangs, and other stereotypical actions.

Needless to say, the advertisement was extremely racist and did receive backlash.

Something that the marketers and advertisers should have thought about before moving ahead with it.

This type of action not only puts off the audience but also creates a negative image of the brand in the eyes of the target customers and can have a drastic impact on brand equity.

 

Intel’s Racist Employee Performance Advertisement 

Another advert that was unexpected and highly racist was Intel’s print advertisement. Look at this, it is bound to make you extremely uncomfortable.

This advertisement was highly racist and it was glorifying slavery. A white man with a clean crisp look standing up while the men of color bend around him? And the tagline supporting this was heavy-duty atrocious.

Needless to say, it generated a huge backlash, and Intel did decide to take it down but nevertheless, it spread like a wildfire.

What could they have done? They could have pondered over their marketing and advertising strategy before releasing this campaign.

Once you get into that racist advertising blot, it is hard to remove it.

 

Nivea “Re- Civilizing” Black Men 

In 2011, Nivea did something I never expected a brand like that to do.

It designed and promoted an overly racist advertisement.

As you can see clearly, it was promoting a clean, neat-looking African American throwing away the head of a stereotypical African American man.

Moreover, the cringe-worthy tagline stated “re-civilize yourself”.

The advertisement garnered extreme criticism and backlash from people all over.

Furthermore, everyone who saw it accused Nivea of promoting racism.

Nivea did take down the advert soon after and also issued a public apology on Facebook, which went on like:

“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 our 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.”

 
 

It’s Not All Bad

While there have been some controversial and offensive racial advertising in the past, there have also been advertisements and brand gestures that voiced against it.
For instance, Ben and Jerry’s has been educating its customers about the long-running battle of white supremacy and the fight for basic civil rights and also standing up for a fight to bring down white supremacy.

Not only this but Ben and Jerry’s has also always been upfront and bold when it came to addressing social issues and it is needless to say it’s both loved and hated for the same.

Moreover, Ben and Jerry didn’t shy away from stating the simple fact that “Black Lives Matter” out loud. This is why it has been one of my favorite brands ever.

While many brands like Nike, Loreal, and other big giants do come forward in support and solidarity, how they comment on the issue and how they handle it sets the base of preference for their audience.

Furthermore, how your marketing and advertising strategy is in sync with the ongoing social issues is also what defines you as a brand.

You can be either be direct or diplomatic, or you can design a marketing and advertising campaign that has a creative take on the issues of racism and fundamental rights.

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3 Best Practices for Brands to Fight Racism

dont let your moral compass be all over

It’s important to support the cause against oppression, but if you say these words and your actions are telling a different story then there is no point in doing that.

 

1. Don’t let your moral compass be all over.

For instance, there were many brands, who on paper went on to support the black lives matter campaign, but their actions seemed to be telling a totally different story.

As only tweeting about it is not enough. Racial discrimination is a massive struggle and everyone’s unity of action is the need of the hour.

 

2. Moreover, the world is shifting massively, you have to adapt or die. 

In today’s world, people are compassionate and passionate about world issues.

We take things to heart and strive to bring change.

Therefore, a marketing and advertising strategy that sends out a strong message which is also socially accurate and appealing will get the audience’s trust and respect.

 

3. You have to stand up for what is right if you want to be here for long.

Even if it means standing alone for some time, because believe me, people will join.

 
 

Key Takeaway: Racism in Marketing & Advertising

We live in a time of massive shift, massive understanding, and a desire in everyone to collectively stand against the wrong.

This is why our marketing and advertising strategies should depict the same. Especially with matters in hand like racism, we need to be extra sensitive and careful while designing our ads. As one wrong move can ruin it all for your brand.

Not only this, but we also have to collectively bring down the oppressing system of color discrimination. We have to be brave enough to raise our voices.

So, be bold, take chances, and be willing to stand up against racial oppression.

Today, it is not just about the profits, it is about people too.

If you want to create a marketing and advertising campaign that doesn’t get you canceled, or if your last ad campaign has backfired and you need to rebrand yourself to change the perceptions of your audience about your brand, contact us.

Lastly, I want to end this by mentioning this quote by my favorite Rosa Parks “Stand for something or you will fall for anything. Today’s mighty oak is yesterday’s nut that held its ground.”

Until next time folks.

 


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