Sanex Shower Gel Ad Banned for Reinforcing Racial Stereotypes
A Sanex TV ad has been banned after the UK’s advertising watchdog ruled it portrayed black skin as problematic and white skin as ideal, potentially reinforcing harmful racial stereotypes. The ad, which aired in June, showed a black model scratching itchy skin and another covered in cracked, clay-like material meant to represent dry skin, followed by a white woman with smooth, blemish-free skin using the product. The tagline for the ad was: "Relief could be as simple as a shower." The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the advert could be read as “suggesting that white skin was superior to black skin.”
Colgate-Palmolive, which owns Sanex, argued the ad was meant to show a “before and after” effect using diverse models, not to draw a racial comparison. They said it highlighted how their product works across different skin types. Clearcast, the agency responsible for approving UK TV ads, also defended the advert, claiming the skin tone wasn’t the focal point and that the dryness effects were stylised and unrealistic.
However, the ASA ruled the structure and imagery of the ad told a different story, concluding it was “likely to reinforce the negative and offensive racial stereotype that black skin was problematic, and that white skin was superior.” It’s not the first time Colgate-Palmolive has faced scrutiny over its advertising, and the case adds to a growing list of global brands pulled up for racial insensitivity in their campaigns.
