The German skincare brand has found itself in the middle of another controversy amid their “White Is Purity” advertisement, which was shared to Nivea’s Middle East Facebook page. The image’s caption reads, “Keep it clean, keep it bright. Don’t let anything ruin it.” The accompanying photo features the back of a woman’s head with long dark hair sitting in a bright room with a white blouse on, per CNN.
Come on #Nivea. This is so racist that I do not even know where to begin.😠 Speechless. In future, refer to clothes or products, not colors. pic.twitter.com/m0KTSALFKo
— Scott Bellows (@ScottProfessor) April 4, 2017
Facebook users relentlessly went after the black-and-white deodorant post over the weekend, calling out the ad as racist and insensitive to viewers. Beiersdorf, the company that owns the brand, finally deleted the post on Monday (Apr. 3), and released a statement apologizing for their actions. “We are deeply sorry to anyone who may take offense to this specific post. Diversity and equal opportunity are crucial values of Nivea.” A company representative added, “We never intended to hurt anybody or to raise any wrong interpretation.”
@maej43 @wickdchiq @niveauk The NIVEA Middle East post was not meant to be offensive. We apologize. It’s been removed. NIVEA values diversity and tolerance.
— NIVEA USA (@NIVEAUSA) April 4, 2017
This isn’t the first time Nivea experienced an advertising mishap. In 2011, the mega-company released an ad that featured a black man clutching a mannequin head with a beard and afro captioned, “Re-civilize Yourself,” as part of their “Look Like You Give A Damn” campaign.