14 DAY TRIAL // The latest issue of Esquire Magazine comes with an ad for Nivea that has been branded anything from insensitive to racist. The ad in question caused such a fuss that the company even issued a statement to apologize for it – while promising to pull it from the press.
Twitter user Septembre Anderson posted a photo of the ad online, saying “Wonder what, if anything, @Rihanna will say about this as the face of #nivea.”
As she and many others saw it, she had every reason to be upset by the Nivea ad for Face Body Shave: it showed an impeccably styled and shaved African-American man, holding what looked like a mask of bearded, Afro-wearing man.
The posture of the man indicated that he’d just taken off the mask and was about to throw it as far away from himself as possible.
The caption read, “Look Like You Give a Damn. Re-civilize Yourself.”
Shortly after the photo emerged on Twitter, #Nivea was a trending topic on the social networking website, with many using the hashtag to express their dissatisfaction and outrage with the company.
Eventually, a spokesperson for Nivea had to step up, own up to the mistake and issue of formal apology: the intention was never to offend.
“We are deeply sorry to anyone who may take offense to this specific local advertisement. After realizing that this ad is misleading, it was immediately withdrawn,” the rep says in a statement to CNN.
The long history of the Nivea brand should be enough to convince anyone that it’s not racist and doesn’t discriminate, the statement further notes.
“Diversity and equal opportunity are crucial values of NIVEA: The brand represents diversity, tolerance, and equal opportunity. We value difference. Direct or indirect discrimination must be ruled out in all decisions by, and in all areas of our activities,” says the rep.
“This applies regardless of gender, age, race, skin color, religion, ideology, sexual orientation, or disability. Nor should cultural, ethnic, or national origin, and political or philosophical conviction be of any significance,” Nivea adds.