Racism in advertising seems to be a hot topic this week. No sooner does DirecTV find itself in hot water over a recent commercial, complaints are piling in over an Eska water ad which features faux aboriginal warriors. The ad, created by Toronto-based KBS+P, features three non-aboriginal men dressed in aboriginal barb who suddenly appear in a modern kitchen to defend the purity of Eska water.
Eska CEO Jim Delsnyder apologized for the ad saying, “Eska Water wishes to apologize to all those who may have found the campaign and its images disrespectful. Certainly, that was never our intention.” The ad has been pulled and will not air again.
Citizen journalist and Mohawk Clifton Nicholas said, in a YouTube video, “Eska tried to explain to me that they didn’t depict a specific group of people but that’s not the point. The point is you’re depicting natives in a negative fashion, natives in general.”
