Dove removes racist ad after backlash, but this isn’t the first time

According to Dove, they “missed the mark” representing black women after releasing a racially insensitive ad on Facebook this past Friday.

An image we recently posted on Facebook missed the mark in representing women of color thoughtfully. We deeply regret the offense it caused.

— Dove (@Dove) October 7, 2017

Taken down on Saturday, the 3-second GIF starts off introducing the product with the line “Ready for a Dove Shower?”

It then shows a looping image of a black woman removing a dark brown t-shirt to reveal a white woman. She then removes her beige t-shirt to show a third woman.

https://twitter.com/HIPWEEKLY/status/917356509536890880

“This did not represent the diversity of real beauty which is something Dove is passionate about and is core to our beliefs, and it should not have happened,” Dove said in a statement Sunday.

“We apologize deeply and sincerely for the offense that it has caused and do not condone any activity or imagery that insults any audience.”

But when the internet caught wind of it, Dove had some problems on their hands.

https://twitter.com/quintabrunson/status/917112415262670848

https://twitter.com/keithboykin/status/917048777864867840

Although Dove has received praise for their efforts on diversity and body positivity in the past, this is not the first time they’ve been called out regarding racially offensive ads.

A 2011 Dove ad lined up three women from lightest to darkest skin tone. They appeared below the words “before” and “after,” which was meant to indicate skin dryness but was received another way.

What’s tough is that amongst one of the most racially sensitive climates we’ve had in a while with one of the most divisive presidential administrations, one would think they could catch a break from the bs when scrolling down their Facebook, but apparently not.

The only thing Dove’s apology accomplished was serving as a reminder to another apology — Pepsi’s.

You remember Pepsi’s attempt to piggyback on a social movement with the help of the Kardashian regime back in April?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA5Yq1DLSmQ

Yeah, well their apology was very similar. In a snippet, they said:  “Clearly, we missed the mark and apologized.”

Apparently, there is an abundance of marks just too darn difficult to hit because tone-def ads have become an overplayed theme.

I would not go as far as to say Dove is canceled — I just bought a couple of bars and I cannot afford to be financially irresponsible — but there is an accountability that must be answered to.

Until then, it’s important that these corporations aren’t let off the hook.