Bombril pulled its 68-year-old Krespinha sponge brand after racism callouts

In June 2020, in the middle of a pandemic-driven surge in demand for cleaning products, Bombril was forced to withdraw 'Krespinha', a steel-wool sponge brand it had launched in 1952. The brand, which by then sold very little, had become the target of social media criticism pointing to it as a product that recalled racist culture.

Company president Wagner Brilhante framed the episode as a lesson: 'we learned that we need to be more attentive'. The company said it was reviewing the communication of its entire portfolio in response, not just the withdrawn brand.

The withdrawal landed while Bombril was also retooling for the other side of the pandemic: with consumer income falling, the company was preparing cheaper product lines, due to launch in the fourth quarter of 2020.

A 68-year-old brand had survived every previous review cycle without anyone re-examining what its name and imagery signalled.

The callout came when cleaning products were at peak public attention, maximising the reputational exposure of the withdrawal.

The company treated it as a portfolio-wide problem, implicitly conceding other brands could carry the same risk.

An apology and withdrawal limited the damage, but the review it forced cost attention during the category's biggest demand spike.

Legacy brands age out of scrutiny: audit old names and imagery before the internet does it for you, at the worst possible moment.

Bombril apologised and said it was reviewing the communication of its whole portfolio, while preparing a budget product line for the fourth quarter of 2020 aimed at consumers whose income had fallen in the coronavirus crisis.