UK bans Sanex shower gel ad over racial beauty stereotypes

The UK has banned a TV advertisement for Sanex gel which showed black skin as cracked and white skin as smooth, perpetuating racial stereotypes.

The shower ad also upholds the view that dark skin is problematic, demonstrating the superiority of white skin over the black one.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) acted after two complaints were filed against the stereotypical approach of Sanex about people with darker skin tones.

The ad, broadcast in June, included a voiceover that said: “To those who might scratch day and night. To those whose skin will feel dried out even by water,” alongside the imagery of two black women one with red scratch marks and another covered with cracked clay-like material.

On the contrary, a white body was shown with smooth texture, showering with Sanex shower product.

ASA ruled that the ad violated its broadcast code and banned it from broadcasting in the same format.

According to the ruling, “The white skin , depicted as smoother and clean after using the product, was shown successfully changed and resolved. We considered that could be interpreted as suggesting that white skin was superior to black skin.”

However, which is the authority for rejecting and approving ads for broadcast, said that advertisement did not perpetuate stereotypes.

In response to the ban, the UK arm of Colgate-Palmolive which owns the Sanex brand, negated the accusations of reinforcing racial stereotypes.

According to the Sanex brand company, the ad only demonstrated the “before and after” effect. The only purpose behind the ad is to show the suitability of the product for all kinds of skins. Skin tone was never a focal point.