UK Ad Regulator Bans Shower Gel TV Commercial
Cited for "Promoting Negative Racial Stereotypes"
A TV commercial for a shower gel produced in the UK was banned from broadcasting after it depicted black skin as cracked and white skin as smooth, on the grounds that it promoted racial stereotypes.
According to the BBC, The Guardian, and other sources on August 20 (local time), the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) took action after receiving a complaint that the Sanex shower gel TV commercial promoted negative stereotypes about people with dark skin tones.
The commercial, which aired in June, featured a narration stating, "For those who scratch day and night. For those whose skin dries out even with just water," while showing two models with black skin. The ad depicted one black model scratching her body, leaving red scratch marks, followed by another black model covered in a cracked, clay-like substance.
It then showed a white model with clear skin using the product in the shower, accompanied by a narration claiming "24-hour moisturizing effect" and ending with the message, "Just showering is enough to see the results."
Colgate-Palmolive, which owns Sanex, argued that the commercial did not promote negative racial stereotypes and was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offense. The company explained that using models with diverse skin tones was part of an effort to promote diversity, and that the commercial was intended only to demonstrate the effects of the product before and after use, with skin tone not being a central element.
Clearcast, the body responsible for approving TV commercials for broadcast, also determined that the Sanex commercial did not perpetuate negative racial stereotypes and instead demonstrated the product's inclusivity. The focus, they said, was on skin dryness and the sensation of itching, rather than on skin tone.
However, the ASA concluded that the commercial violated broadcast regulations and banned it from being aired again in the same format. The authority determined that using different skin colors to depict before-and-after effects created a negative comparison.
The ASA pointed out that the commercial "portrayed black skin as problematic and uncomfortable, while white skin, shown as smooth and clean after using the product, was presented as successfully transformed and resolved." While acknowledging that this message may not have been intentional, the ASA explained, "This advertisement is highly likely to reinforce negative and offensive racial stereotypes that black skin is problematic and white skin is superior."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
