When I first began to search for a terrible ad, I stumbled across one that looked like this:

Immediately I saw the problem. It appeared as though the sequence of events occurring pictured a black woman transitioning into a white woman. I clicked on it and discovered a public outcry of potential racism. The ad supposedly seemed to be portraying the “cleansing” of the first woman, and once cleaned she appeared to be the white woman. Of course, I could understand the perspective of why this ad was terrible immediately. To see advertisements to this day still portray certain races, genders, and sexual orientations in ignorant ways is mind boggling. But, as I dug deeper, I found that the ad displayed above, the one that is all over the internet is not in fact the entire ad.

 

In 2017, Dove released an ad portraying three women in a three second clip.

 

The purpose of this ad was to demonstrate that “Dove is committed to representing the beauty of diversity” according to a post made on Facebook by the company shortly after the ad was released. In the same post, they explain that they “missed the mark in thoughtfully representing women of color and [they] deeply regret the offense that it [had] caused.”

Yet, the damage had already been done to some customers. People began to boycott and post previous ads used in the past that exhibit similar behavior, both from Dove and from times of segregation. The meaning behind these ads is supposed to be empowering and persuasive, yet two Dove ads, the one pictured above especially, spark anger and disbelief.

But, these reactions stem from just the first transition from the black woman to the white woman because when released into the public, people edited and cropped the video to just see the beginning. The whole ad displays more than this. In total, there were 7 women who participated in the advertisement, all of different races, when the final clip was released.

The woman who appears to be “cleansed” spoke out about the topic stating that “all of the women in the shoot understood the concept and overarching objective – to use [their] differences to highlight the fact that all skin deserves gentleness.” When I learned of the true intentions and personal opinions of the models themselves, I felt less outraged by it.

Still, I believe that companies should check for instances like these. Do they have people who filter through and address every possible controversy that could come out of their ad? Once out, the damage is done. And for an ad like this, I feel as though they lacked a filter process. I believe that in a world were people are shamed and abused simply for what they look like, a powerful company such as Dove (who focuses on skin care) needs to be aware of how they make their customers feel before they even release an advertisement.

The story behind this ad is powerful because it shows how far the world has come in such a short time. The smooth transition between women exhibits the inclusion of all. The idea that all skin is gentle and should be treated the same drives this ad.

So, the controversy behind it grows from the lack of filter from Dove. Companies need to understand their audience and appreciate them more. While the intentions are strong and beautiful, the actions may not be.

With such a driven message, is this ad actually terrible? Is it a misunderstanding in a world where hate fuels the biggest problems we face? Did the company truly mean it in a racist way and are covering it up (because it’s not the first time an ad like this had been released)? Or is it as simple as nobody checked to approve it?

To determine the answers to these questions, it’s all a matter of perspective.