Well, it isn’t an uncommon scenario: a large corporation tries to appeal to a particular group of people, and, the next thing you know, it ends up backfiring. The facebook ad released by Dove on Saturday afternoon left many people scratching their heads in confusion.
Dove misses the mark
The ad featured a gif with women removing their shirts to reveal what was underneath. The shock came when an African-American woman, smiling in the bathroom next to her Dove product in a brown t-shirt, removed her shirt to reveal a white woman.
That’s right. Someone at Dove though it would be a good idea to feature an ad where an African-American woman sheds her layers to reveal a white woman underneath.
Although the full ad did feature more women, the racial tension in this country led many African-American women to view the ad as offensive.
What was Dove’s aim?
Many agree that the possible motives for the ad released on Saturday afternoon are limited. Is Dove suggesting that black women should use their soap to cleanse the melanin and make way for the white? Here’s what Twitter had to say about it.
Following the backlash, Dove removed the ad and released an apology through a Facebook statement a few hours later, “Dove is committed to representing the beauty of diversity. In an image we posted this week, we missed the mark in thoughtfully representing women of color and we deeply regret the offense that it has caused.
The feedback that has been shared is important to us and we’ll use it to guide us in the future."
What was Dove's mistake?
Needless to say, Dove does have some reevaluating to do, but Dove is not alone. Many companies over the years have released campaign ads that seem to have little to no thought in regard to certain ethnic groups.
Typically, after an outcry there is an apology and it's back to business from there. Mistakes can be made and that is understandable, but at what point do we stop calling it a mistake?
In the age of information, there are research options available before business decisions, like ad posts, are made. Social media is a great way to gauge an audience, not to mention the obvious -- diversity in all roles in the workplace.
Were the necessary steps taken to make sure the views and opinions of the target group were even considered? It seems that history is doomed to repeat itself if changes aren't made, but it is clear that Dove is currently busy doing damage control.
