The UK advertising watchdog has banned a Sanex advert for implying black skin was problematic and white skin superior.
Britain’s advertising regulator has banned a television advert for Sanex shower gel after ruling it implied black skin was “problematic” while portraying white skin as “superior.”
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) announced the decision on Wednesday following two complaints about the commercial, which was produced by US consumer goods giant Colgate-Palmolive. The watchdog said the ad, which aired in June, risked perpetuating harmful stereotypes about people with darker skin.
The advert depicted two black models with “itchy and dry skin which was shown to be problematic,” while a white model appeared with smooth, healthy skin. “We considered that could be interpreted as suggesting that white skin was superior to black skin,” ASA stated. It added that the campaign breached rules banning offensive or harmful advertising.
Colgate-Palmolive defended the ad, saying it was intended to show a “before and after” skincare effect rather than a racial comparison. The ASA acknowledged the message was not deliberate but cautioned the company to avoid causing “serious offence on the grounds of race.”