It merits saying that there are plenty of countries where people don’t get as nuts as we do when ads zero in on race. But I still felt an “arrrg” rise to my throat when I saw these pieces for ChromaWhite TRX Skin Brightener, Dermalogica India.
The text at left reads “America’s future looks bright, thanks to a black.” Above the caption is the bust of a suspiciously white-washed Obama.
Thanks for the unsolicited commentary on our election, but what the fuck, guys? How does news of the States blackwashing the White House promote your skin whitening product?
Variant: “There are times when black can go to white.” Okay, I’m not even touching that one.
Put together by the politically earnest cats at IBD Brands, India.
UPDATE: After this article had been live for a few hours, the guy who sent us this work apologized for any cultural misunderstanding and claimed the creative was just spec. And having sent us the material in the first place, he even tried insisting his agency didn’t do it. (The creative credits appeared right below the work in the original email.) In separate IMs, he went on to say he doesn’t work for the agency at all, and a mystery person from IBD sent it to him.
Dear IBD Brands Dude: We’re typically really nice about this kind of thing, but you’ve done this more than once. If this was an honest mistake, here’s a tip: don’t get cocky and send us material your client hasn’t approved.
If you simply can’t take flak for doing a sub-par job, get the hell out of this business.
