Nivea apologizes for 'White Is Purity' ad
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The German skincare company is being internationally slammed for the product. (Reuters)
Nivea pulled a “White Is Purity” deodorant ad after critics blasted the German skin care company for promoting white supremacy, according to reports on Wednesday.
The ad appeared on Facebook last week and was aimed at the company’s customers in the Middle East.
The spot pitching Nivea’s “Invisible for Black and White” showed a woman with her back to the camera and her dark hair flowing over a white robe.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}At the bottom of the ad, in all caps, the slogan said: “WHITE IS PURITY.”
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The Facebook post ran the caption: “Keep it clean, keep it bright. Don’t let anything ruin it.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Twitter users quickly attacked the ad for fostering a racist agenda.
.@NIVEAUSA What the HELL is this? White Purity? Shame, Shame, Shame on you. Fire your marketing person and anyone who approved this ad pic.twitter.com/vlEBYOpqVc
— Maria (@mitchellscomet) April 3, 2017
“Maybe they are targeting the KKK and Nazi market. They they should give their marcom person a raise,” wrote Jim Li on the social messaging site.
“What the HELL is this? White Purity? Shame, Shame, Shame on you,” wrote Maria on Twitter. “Fire your marketing person and anyone who approved this ad.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The company removed the ad Tuesday over “concerns about ethnic discrimination.”
“We are deeply sorry to anyone who may take offense to this specific post. Diversity and equal opportunity are crucial values of Nivea,” the company said in a statement.
This article originally appeared in the New York Post.