Nawp, years of systemic inequality does that. Not talking about it doesn't make it go away. Not acknowledging things doesn't make it better.
Nivea wins most racist ad for 2017
- Thread starter SuperBanana
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Nawp, years of systemic inequality does that. Not talking about it doesn't make it go away. Not acknowledging things doesn't make it better.
LookAtMeGo
Member
Did you read the comments? All those nazi white supremacist comments are being made because its something they have been saying since their inception. Even if it wasnt meant to be racist, its inviting that kind of shit. If you wore a white dress as a symbol of your sexual purity, I dont think it would stir up shit. If you walked around with a white t shirt that in big letters on it sayin "WHITE IS PURITY"... people are probably going to look at you like you some dumb racist prick.
Just something to add here. Cleopatra used this as well, when she told people she would bathe in milk. It was propaganda but people already understood the context during that time.
Those comments are clearly sarcasm/making fun of the ad.
I love how we give people and internet comments the benefit of the doubt in Trump's America.
Comments like these are fucking normal on the internet.
LookAtMeGo
Member
Even if they are its because of the ads wording and its obvious ties to white supremacy.
Given how many people are openly racist/white supremacist/xenophobic on the internet today(hell, on tv, the white house!), I wouldn't be so sure.
A lot of people in the world are racist. A lot of them are happy to spout their nonsense online. Don't think you should handwave that away as sarcasm. It's how Trump got as far as he did. There's always an excuse. Sometimes it's just hate.
I doubt they realized it. It certainly doesn't make it ok, it makes it tone deaf. Why would a huge company do anything that could cause a controversy and potentially hurt their bottom line, it just doesn't make sense that the immediate assumption is some racist saw this and said "yes this supports my views, forget what all our internal meetings say, push it through.
They need to hire a new ad company because anyone who could let this stuff slip through is horrible at their job. It makes them stupid, not malicious.
VenomousCoffee
Member
1) A lot of Americans, today, are negatively affected by white supremacy. Seeing that phrase referenced in an ad is, just possibly, not a "no issue" situation to them.
2) If you can't see a difference between 6 years ago and 50 years ago, when it comes to establishing cultural context, I don't know what to tell you.
The president of the United States and many White Americans disagree. It's nice to want things though.
Though I find the trend with Black folks I know that they prefer "Black" over "African American"
Just_myles
Member
hahaha that's awesome. Wow.
The Albatross
Member
I just don't see how nobody could look at these ads in a design review and be like "y'know... these are a little risky... Think we're gonna get guff for these being racist...?" Is Nivea's ad dept from another country or something?
Palette Swap
Member
Either they have the most incompetent advertising managers in the world or someone wanted to stir some shit, Option b is way more likely.
The advert itself, at least I don't think, invokes any ill feelings when a PoC sees it. I don't need to defend the ad, it's not for me at all, but I would hope that any reference to the colour white doesn't become taboo for advertising the same way I wouldn't want that to happen to references to the colour black.
The distasteful part of this are the horrible jokes, which may or may not be half-serious.
It reminds me how black boards got renamed in the UK for... What I'd like to think was no reason.
To say this ad is the most racist of the year is really setting the bar low as it could be.
Maintenance
Member
It's Middle East Nivea, so maybe? Who knows.
bangbang i'm a timpani
Banned
this did this shit awhile ago with a black guy:
Ok, I give you a 10 for this presentation of mental gymnastics. To somehow connect this add from the middle-east to the US and as relevant or insulting to Americans, is very, very impressive. Also to connect this to Trump, very nicely done.
You can construct everything out of anything as people like Glenn Beck have proven. The question is more, does it make sense outside of the bubble it was constructed.
Wealthy white boys in advertising who thought it funny. Yeah.
DriftingSpirit
Member
I just can't. The first page alone threw me for a fucking loop.
shadowsdarknes
Member
I'm fucking blown away.
There's usually a small scapegoat where they can claim they deserve the benefit of the doubt, but there's virtually no subtly to it.
There's usually a small scapegoat where they can claim they deserve the benefit of the doubt, but there's virtually no subtly to it.
radios shipping overview
Member
You really do manage to find a way to be on the worst side of any discussion.
LookAtMeGo
Member
Sure but its hard to say who is making fun of it or just being racist. I think comments like "this is going to upset so many blacks they are now going to turn to crime... oh wait.." are pretty clear.
And with how rampant so many like to spew their racist garbage all over facebook and all social media are, I'm not about to jump at giving anyone the benefit of a doubt. The only way to be sure would be to see their profiles and what kind of shit like like to post.
Flawed premise aside: How do you know they're making fun of it? What makes you so certain?
Your logic seems to imply that racists don't know what the fuck they're doing. They do know. Intimately. It's in that space of plausible deniability that so many people seem to have trouble. That's where the moderates live.
bootsthecat
Banned
Somebody needs to task themselves with scouring through Middle Eastern print advertisements for items/phrases which could potentially be considered offensive to western sensibilities. Maybe a Federal task force or something along those lines? This behavior simply cannot continue.
Guess, I'm a racist then...
or could it be that I just have a different cultural background like the people this ad is aimed at? ... ... ... Nah, can't be that.
Apocryphon
Member
Yes, they absolutely would. But that's also your construct. It isn't a t-shirt that says white is purity and they're not recommending that you wear a t-shirt that says white is purity. You just created that imagery in your own head.
You accept that white and innocence, purity, newness, whatever have a long standing connotation that isn't racist in any sense, but because Nivea used a picture of a woman in a white bath robe and some words to draw that exact connotation... you make some sort of mental leap in your had to it being racist. At most it's questionable, but really I struggle to see it as being overtly and purposefully racist. You are the ones making it racist.
The bathrobe insinuates that she either just got out of the bath or the shower. Shes now clean... fresh... new skin... etc. It's obvious to see what they were going for.
Poor GRIMES
Banned
Why does the country matter?
Colorism is an issue in every country. Valuing lighter skintones over darker skintones is something that every culture and creed shares. Removing Western sensibilities does not make the criticisms in this thread void, because darker skinned people everywhere on Earth struggle with the same connotation.
Can you understand why someone might interpret this as racist?
If you can, even if you disagree with the interpretation, then I don't think you're racist.
bootsthecat
Banned
Would the average citizen in Kuwait or Libya see this ad, and think of racism at a similar rate as a person seeing this on a bus in NYC or London?
Would the term "White is Purity", for me as a white guy in New Hampshire, strike me as inappropriate? Yes. To those I referenced? I'm not so sure, and can only assume the ad team responsible felt similarly. They're trying to sell deodorant, not piss people off. Possibly you have more insight on their mindset?
LookAtMeGo
Member
I'm not saying if they were purposefully trying to be racist or not. I'm saying its easy to understand why the phrase "white is purity" in an ad can be taken the wrong way. Which the comment section has so clearly demonstrated.
It could have said "white is beautiful" or basically "white is (anything positive)" and I'm sure there would still be some white supremacist "jokes" in there. But the "white is purity" is just asking for it.
Poor GRIMES
Banned
If you have a majority of people interpreting the ad to be valuing a certain skintone over others, then you have failed in the marketing department. The argument here seems to be that seeing the "Black is Courage" tagline alongside the "White is Purity" one removes the possible interpretation of racism or colorism in the ad. However, the "White is Purity" tagline in particular can survive on its own without the "Black is Courage" tagline being associated with it because of the design elements used. A smarter graphic designer would have included both elements in the advert and made them dependent of one another in terms of design in order to make their messaging more clear
backflip10019
Member
You're right. There are absolutely zero cultural differences between places like New York City and Qatar. None at all. All the people are exactly the same and have similar mindsets.
I can. But that's depending on your cultural background, because the ad isn't inherently racist.
They are using this ad to market their brand to the Middle East. I seriously doubt the majority of people there are "interpreting the ad to be valuing a certain skintone over others". Heck, they could use this ad 1:1 in Germany without stirring any controversy.
Poor GRIMES
Banned
People in Qatar have issues with colorism, much like the USA. Skin lightening is prevalent in Qatar, thereby proving my claim that colorism is something that everyone struggles with. I never claimed that issues of race directly apply to Qatar, but messages directed towards a foreign audience play with the same colorist connotations when advertising their skin products.
TheJollyCorner
Member
OG Shaka Zulu
Member
White guy needs to clean up because he's going to party it up in Vegas.
Black guy needs to clean up because he needs to civilize himself.
Wow.
Black guy needs to clean up because he needs to civilize himself.
Wow.
WrenchNinja
Member
My mom used to buy this shit for my sister. It's fucked up.on par with this
You don't get it. You are linking the slogan of the ad to skintones, because of the way the term "white purity" is being used by white supremacists in the US. You wouldn't have this connotation if you were from a different cultural background, like the people this ad is originally aimed at.
FantasticMrFoxdie
Mumber
Wow.
Chances are the product sucked for your skin anywayLiterally just washed my face with their gel.
As a mixed race bloke
Literally just washed my face with their gel.
As a mixed race bloke
Guys, read the goddamn thread ffs.
Poor GRIMES
Banned
I don't think you understand it either. The messaging is different but the negative implications are the same.
In Asian countries, lighter, more White, skintones are valued because there is a connotation that it equals wealth. Whereas, darker, more Black, skintones are poor.
South Africa struggled with apartheid, so the messaging is largely the same.
In the Middle East, skin ligtening products are highly valued. Lighter, more White, skintones are valued.
Have you never heard that lighter women are more "pure?" This is a sentiment many many countries hold. Since most of the skin products in those nations are meant to target the audience, who desire a lighter skintone, then the messages are still negative.
Fahzgoolin
Banned
I agree. Obviously a lot of "jokes" could be genuine or are just in poor taste.
Also, white resembling purity is a common in literature and religion. Similar to black resembling evil or impurity.
I don't think the Ad was racist, but it was poorly conceived and not a good idea.
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