The skincare line’s suggestion for men to “re-civilize themselves” offends many; apology issued
The September issue of Esquire magazine contained a printed advertisement for Nivea skincare that has been the center of controversy this past week. The ad, met almost immediately with outrage, features a clean cut Black man throwing what appears to be a mask, or decapitated head of a Black man with a beard and afro, with an angry expression on his face. It was accompanied by the text, “Look Like You Give a Damn. Re-civilize Yourself.”
Deemed as racist, insensitive and offensive, the ad was pulled, as Nivea released an apology via their Facebook page, according to Clutch Magazine. :
“Thank you for caring enough to give us your feedback about the recent “Re-civilized” NIVEA FOR MEN ad. This ad was inappropriate and offensive. It was never our intention to offend anyone, and for this we are deeply sorry. This ad will never be used again. Diversity and equal opportunity are crucial values of our company.”
Nivea For Men stands by their claim that the advert was in no way intended to be racially suggestive or offensive. Clutch says that the “Look Like You Give A Damn” campaign was created by Cliff Carson, an African American VP from the New York based agency PMK BNC who handles all branding and marketing strategy for Nivea. Carson was reportedly brought in to strategize marketing techniques and diversify the face of the brand. The magazine says it was the company’s goal to “put Blacks on a cosmetic branding pedestal”, hence, the hiring of a Black spokesmodel. The ad quickly made it’s way into the masses of social media, becoming a trending topic on Twitter Wednesday, with users sharing the advertisement photo, links to articles, and weighing in on the issue themselves. “Between @ItaliaVogue ‘s ‘Slave Earrings’ and Nivea’s ad conflating afros w/ being ‘uncivilized,’ methinks boycotts are in order,” tweeted blogger AriannaMarie on Sunday evening- a comment that was quickly retweted within seconds of its post.
Brittani Danielle, writer at clutch magazine writes, “While I remember the old school Gillette ads that warned men that anything less than their products would be ‘uncivilized,’ there is something about this image that rubs me the wrong way.” “Nivea’s ad is not racist, just culturally insensitive”, tweeted Twitter user ShugAveryPee on Sunday evening. “I would like to see how Nivea gains anything from this ad after Black people bombard them with e-mails about how infuriated the ad made them.” For those who share the sentiment of ShugAveryPee, the solace appears to be in the hopeful improvements in marketing, as the world takes a step back to watch the skin care brand’s next move.