Dove has apologized and pulled down a Facebook advertisement that showed a black woman taking off her top to show a white woman in a lighter-colored top.
So I'm scrolling through Facebook and this is the #dove ad that comes up.... ok so what am I looking at....Goodmorning...
Posted by Naythemua on Friday, October 6, 2017
Critics condemned the advertisement for racism and in its inability to represent race accurately, The Washington Post reported.
Dove tweeted out its apology Saturday.
“An image we recently posted on Facebook missed the mark in representing women of color thoughtfully,” Dove tweeted on Saturday. “We deeply regret the offense it caused."
Dove also released a statement with an apology, according to CNN.
"This did not represent the diversity of real beauty which is something Dove is passionate about and is core to our beliefs, and it should not have happened," the company said in a statement Sunday. "We apologize deeply and sincerely for the offense that it has caused and do not condone any activity or imagery that insults any audience."
The company received heavy criticism for being “racially insensitive,” according to "Good Morning America."
Makeup artist Naomi Blake, also known as Naythemua, said the ad is “tone deaf.”
“We’re putting out these ads with these subliminal messages that are telling young ladies that your darker skin is not beautiful enough, you need to purify and clean yourself,” she said in a now-viral video.
Blake told CNN that she couldn’t believe the ad was real.
"How can you see a body wash ad like this and not realize? It rubbed me and many people the wrong way," Blake told CNNMoney. "What are you telling the little black girls who watch this?"
Dove has previously been celebrated for its diversity, specifically with the "My Beauty My Say," "Real Beauty," and "#BeautyBias” campaigns that promoted positive body images and confidence.
But the company has faced racist accusations before. In 2011, Dove released an ad that lined women up based on their skin tone with "before" and "after" above each person.
The company was also condemned for an advertisement in which it said “beauty comes in all shapes and sizes,” which critics said indicated women are judged by their bodies, according to CNN.