Nivea apologises for "racially offensive" ad

One of the leading skincare producers finds itself in a spot of bother following the withdrawal of an advert which had “racial overtones” and one that they admit was offensive.

A Nivea for Men ad featured in the current issue of American Esquire showed a clean-cut Black man holding a mask of a man with an afro and big beard with the tagline "Look like you give a damn. Re-civilize yourself."

Nivea wold have been happy that their ad was in the spotlight and receiving attention from users of social media websites. But it wasn’t the kind of reaction they were hoping for as the ad was circulated on Twitter by angry users who were offended by the message of the advert.

It's safe to say that an advert which depicts anyone with an Afro and a beard to be anything but civilised and also someone who "doesn't give a damn" is sure to cause offence and be a little insensitive.

Nivea’s parent company Beirsdorf AG were forced to withdraw the advert and issue an apology for causing offence. The company stated,

We are deeply sorry to anyone who may take offence to this specific local advertisement. After realising that this ad is misleading, it was immediately withdrawn. Diversity and equal opportunity are crucial values of Nivea: The brand represents diversity, tolerance, and equal opportunity. We value difference.

The statement continued,

Direct or indirect discrimination must be ruled out in all decisions by, and in all areas of our activities. This applies regardless of gender, age, race, skin colour, religion, ideology, sexual orientation, or disability. Nor should cultural, ethnic, or national origin, and political or philosophical conviction be of any significance.

Issuing an apology is the first step to admitting their error, but it seems that if diversity was such a crucial value to Nivea, then surely they would have realised the consequences of using such imagery and the reaction it would cause.

It is unlikely that Beirsdorf AG will take any further action to deal with those who put the ad together and neither will it be the last time that a company that looks to “push the boundaries” with their ads will have hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons and be forced to apologise for causing offence.

Zohaib Rashid

Picture: The Nivea advert