Nivea slammed for stigmatising Singaporean women with dark arm pits in video for skin whitening deodorant
Body care brand Nivea has come under fire in social media and by a women’s rights group in Singapore for stigmatising women with dark arm pit skin.
A three-minute video posted on Nivea’s Facebook page features a young Singaporean woman who is shunned by members of the public because she has darkly coloured arm pits.
The response to the supposedly humorous video was mixed, but some objected to the brand suggesting that women with darker arm pits should be socially ostracised, and use Nivea deodorant as a solution to their problem. Nivea’s Extra White & Firm Q10 Deodorant contains whitening and firming ingredients.
Another poster suggested that is was “sad that women have been portrayed as the pariah of society just because of their dark underarms.”
One commenter wrote: “Nivea, it’s your company that’s in the dark. This sort of “humour” may have worked 20 years ago, but now I only find this tired and offensive.”
Another woman suggested that it was “cheap humour” and a “terrible message”.
Gender equality advocacy group AWARE Singapore singled out Nivea’s post, writing on its own Facebook page: “Apparently having the ‘wrong’ colour of armpit makes you unfit to interact with other human beings. This is supposedly humour – but is promoting shame and insecurity about our bodies a laughing matter? Some commenters let NIVEA know about their objections – good on them!”
Nivea has yet to respond to Mumbrella’s request for comment.
Bad acting, bad music, bad idea aside, who is Nivea’s agency in Singapore?
ReplySury this was not produced by an agency.
ReplyI have a little more faith in the local ECDs than to think that someone gave this concept the nod..
Direct from client perhaps?
An un-funny concept to begin with, then poorly scripted, poorly acted, poorly shot, poorly edited.
A campaign to take the mantle from last year’s laugh fest STB Philippines spot?
Can’t for a second imagine an agency is behind that garbage – the insight, the idea and the execution all wrong. And what an odd concept of ‘humour’ Nivea Singapore has.
ReplyProbably one of the f’wit content agencies that have sprung up like a rash.
ReplyTollers: very likely. Still amazing that any agency, content or otherwise, wouldn’t have the filter to say: this is not only wrong, it is also shit. Fear of saying no and losing their only client maybe?
ReplyThe BIg White Agency has a fear of small dark armpits.
ReplyMonkey Superstar?
ReplyHave your say