Racism In Advertising Isn’t New But When Does It Get Old?

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Alyssa Guzik
September 5, 2024

In 1914, Fairy Soap was marketed to people as a way to get clean by implying that dark skin was dirty and had to be washed off. Ads like that aren't relegated to the past, however.

In 2017, Dove sparked accusations of racism when their ad featured a Black woman removing her shirt to reveal a white woman underneath. This wasn't the first time Dove faced backlash for their ads either.

Lululemon came under fire for refusing to showcase non-white models in their ads. This came after their founder and largest stakeholder bashed diversity and representation, proudly declaring in 2013 that his clothing isn't meant for "certain people."

In 2018, H&M put an adorable little Black boy in a green hoodie that said "coolest monkey in the jungle." Black folks were rightfully upset over the racial implications of labeling a Black child as a monkey. The company apologized and removed the image from their site, but the damage was done by then.

Racist ads aren't a thing of the past. They are still being pushed into our faces. We must always be on alert and willing to hold companies accountable. We show them by using the power of where we spend our dollars.

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