IN THE WAKE OF THE CLICKS AD, HOW CAN YOU GO ABOUT TO ENSURE YOU EMPOWER AND PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS TO BE SENSITIVE AND RELEVANT?
- UNILEVER TO ENSURE FUTURE AD CAMPAIGNS REFLECT SA VALUES AFTER CLICKS AD FAILURE
- UNILEVER SAID THAT IT WAS TAKING FURTHER STEPS TO ENSURE THAT FUTURE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS REFLECTED SOUTH AFRICANS' VALUES.
- THE COMPANY SAID THAT IT WOULD BE REVIEWING ALL ITS MARKETING CAMPAIGNS AND IMAGES IN ITS SOUTH AFRICA PORTFOLIO AFTER IT CAME UNDER FIRE FOR ITS TRESEMMÉ ADVERT.
- THE AD WAS PUBLISHED ON THE CLICKS WEBSITE AND DESCRIBED IMAGES OF AFRICAN BLACK HAIR AS "FRIZZY AND DULL," WHILE A WHITE WOMAN’S HAIR WAS REFERRED TO AS “NORMAL".
- THIS TRIGGERED THREE DAYS OF NATIONWIDE PROTESTS LED BY THE ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS (EFF), FORCING THE RETAILER TO CLOSE ITS DOORS.
- AS PART OF ITS MEASURES, UNILEVER SAID THAT IT WOULD SET UP AN ADVISORY BOARD AND A DIVERSITY COMMITTEE AFTER APOLOGISING FOR THE HAIR CARE ADVERT, WHICH IT ADMITTED WAS RACIST.
- THE COMPANY SAID THAT IT HAD LEARNT FROM THIS FAILING AND WOULD ACCELERATE ITS EFFORTS TO SUPPORT TRANSFORMATION, REPRESENT ALL COMMUNITIES AND PROMOTE INCLUSION IN SOUTH AFRICA.
- IT WILL ALSO DEVELOP PROGRAMMES TO DELIVER IMMEDIATE SUPPORT TO BLACK HAIR STYLISTS AND SMALL PROFESSIONAL SALONS.