Marketing executives are all too aware of the treacherous minefield that is political correctness. Every now and again some poor creative is forced to lament their glaringly-obvious-with-hindsight-blunder as the brand they represent steps perilously into the realm of the ‘-isms.’ Earlier this year, Cadbury fell to the sword of racism and an angry reaction from Naomi Campbell; most recent example of taking the fatal wrong turn into this treacherous domain however is Nivea For Men.
Yes, across the pond the internet has erupted with fury in reaction to Nivea’s most recent campaign: Look Like you Give a Damn. The print ad in question features a clean-shaven black man (presumably post Nivea for Men grooming session) grasping a mask of his former Afro/bearded head (presumably pre-Nivea for Men grooming session). The connotations that come with the bold ‘Re-civilize yourself’ tagline emblazoned across the top are all too obvious. It might as well say put down the spliff, turn down the boombox and get a get a real job (i.e. not hustling, gang-banging or being a menace to south central whilst drinking your juice in the hood). Obviously this was not the intended message but you get the point.
Such a faux pas in the past would have been enough of a challenge for PROs, never mind when it has stirred up a social media storm with raging real-time debate. Rihanna, Nivea spokeswoman, has since ditched the brand.
The ensuing Facebook activity has even seen both extreme sides of the race debate and many posts have claimed that the reactions to the ad from black communities are oversensitive. Angry African American graduates have also posted pictures of themselves receiving their doctorates, natural afro hair in tow.
Nivea’s response on their Facebook page is credit worthy – it would be all too easy to give up transparency at this point and hide from the issue. They posted the following;
“Thank you for caring enough to give us your feedback on the recent ‘Re-civilized’ NIVEA FOR MEN ad. This ad was inappropriate and offensive. It was never our intention to offend anyone, and for this we are deeply sorry. This ad will never be used again. Diversity and equal opportunity are crucial values of our company”
I can’t help but feel though, that this wasn’t enough. Social media is an opportunity for brands to engage with those who are most important to them and this is what Nivea should have done. With an active approach they could have replied to posts individually, come out of the blocks fighting, managed the online debate and restored some integrity over the whole matter.
It all just goes to show that as the social web provides more and more touch points between brands and consumers, public relations becomes ever more essential for online activity.
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