Sanex shower gel ad banned over racial stereotype
A TV commercial for Sanex shower gel that showed black skin as cracked and white skin as smooth had been banned from reinforcing a racial stereotype. Two models with dark skin are shown in the ad, one has itchy skin and the other has dry skin, and the others have dry skin. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) accepted two lawsuits alleging that the depiction of dark skin as dry, cracked, and itchy "could be misconstrued as implying that white skin was superior to black skin. Colgate-Palmolive, the parent company of Sanex, said it used models in a variety of skin shades as part of its commitment to diversity.
The brand said it produced products for all skin types and the use of various models would be displayed in a before and after
scenario rather than comparing different skin colors or ethnicities.
The commercial, which was shown on television in June, features a model with dark skin scratching their body and creating brilliant orange, paint-like stripes with their fingertips. To those who will scratch day and night,
a voiceover says. Another dark-skinned model is then covered in cracked, clay-like clay, and the voiceover continues
I'd like to take a shower with the latest Sanex skin therapy and its patented amino acid complex,to those whose skin will feel dry even by water. A white model is seen showering with water and foam moving over her skin, but there are no apparent defects or graphics to suggest.
the voiceover says. For 24-hour hydration feel.Relief could be as simple as a shower," the ad's tagline read.
The ASA found that the ad violated its broadcasting policy and barred it from being shown again in the same way. The white skin, which was described as smoother and clean after using the cream, was shown to be properly updated and resolved,the judge said.
We considered that saying that white skin was superior to black skin.
ensure they did not cause significant offence on the basis of ethnicityThe ASA acknowledged that this message was not deliberate, but it did warn Colgate-Palmolive to
stylized and misleading wayin the future. The advertisement, according to Clearcast, which approves or rejects advertisements for television broadcasting, does not perpetuate negative racial stereotypes. One model with darker skin was depicted in a
We take note of the ASA Council's decision,to show dryness, but the agency said their skin tone was otherwise not a focal point. It was also with darker skin that itchy skin, but this was portrayed as more about sensation than skin disease, according to the journal.
Our aim at Sanex is to promote skin health for all," the company's website says.Sanex told BBC News. Our commercial was designed to demonstrate how our Skin Therapy collection helps support healthy skin for a variety of skin types.
