Amid accusations of racism, the German skincare company Nivea has pulled a deodorant ad with the slogan “white is purity.”
The ad, posted on Nivea’s social media accounts last week, showed the back of a woman dressed entirely in white, sitting on a bed looking out a window. In the bottom right corner, it showed the brand’s new “Invisible for Black and White” deodorant.
"White is purity." – Nivea pic.twitter.com/bj4KryY5fT
— LEFT✍🏾 (@LeftSentThis) April 5, 2017
Almost immediately after being posted, the ad was slammed on social media.
“White purity?” one online commenter posted. “That’s weirdly specific wording to be an accident. ‘Pure’ isn’t even in the name of this product.”
“What the HELL is this? White Purity?” one Twitter user asked. “Shame, Shame, Shame on you. Fire your marketing person and anyone who approved this ad.”
White supremacists also rushed to laud the ad. “Is Nivea /our product/?” asked one 4chan user, prompting a series of racist responses. “We Clearly have a man on in the inside at Nivea,” another person wrote.
“Well looks like I’m going to use Nivea from now on 1488,” one user posted on Hidenlol.com, using a Nazi number combination. Others referenced the Nivea ad, posting photos of Pepe the Frog and Hitler.
“We are deeply sorry to anyone who may take offense to this specific post,” Nivea said in a statement. “After realizing that the post is misleading, it was immediately withdrawn.”
This isn’t the first time Nivea has come under fire for racist ads.
Wow "@deray: Nivea. Re-civilize yourself. 2011. pic.twitter.com/7sOyPjjrzX"
— Blando Calrissian (@Druhim) January 13, 2015
In 2011, the company also apologized after an ad showed a black man throwing the head of a man with an Afro across a parking lot. “Re-civilize yourself,” the accompanying slogan said.
