The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2019
Dior's Sauvage ad promised a journey into the Native American soul — then got pulled
A fragrance campaign with Johnny Depp and a Native American dancer was called racist within hours. Dior pulled it and let a nonprofit answer for it.
Dior · LVMH · 2019-08-30
What happened
On August 30, 2019, Dior released a 'Sauvage' fragrance ad campaign titled 'We Are the Land' featuring Johnny Depp and a Native American dancer in ceremonial garb. Dior promoted it as 'an authentic journey deep into the Native American soul.' Critics immediately called the campaign racist and culturally appropriative, noting the name 'Sauvage' evokes 'savage.'
The backlash was amplified by Depp's participation given his history of playing Tonto in The Lone Ranger. Dior pulled the ad from Instagram within hours. The company's response — sharing a statement from Americans for Indian Opportunity, a nonprofit that said it had collaborated on the campaign — was seen as deflecting responsibility rather than addressing the criticism directly.
Dior did not issue its own statement responding to the criticism. The case illustrated how a luxury brand's attempt to borrow cultural authenticity can backfire when the borrowing itself is the problem, and how letting a third party speak for you reads as avoidance rather than accountability.
Why it happened
- The campaign's premise — a French luxury house claiming 'authentic' access to Native American culture — was the thing critics objected to, and no amount of collaboration could resolve it
- The name 'Sauvage' carried colonial connotations that the campaign's imagery amplified rather than offset
- Dior's decision to let a nonprofit partner respond instead of speaking directly signalled that the brand did not consider the criticism serious enough to address itself
- Depp's casting, given his Tonto history, made the campaign read as a continuation of Hollywood's appropriation rather than a departure from it
The lesson
When a brand borrows cultural authenticity as a creative premise, the borrowing is the claim being tested — and a partner's endorsement does not substitute for the brand's own accountability.
Aftermath
Dior pulled the ad from Instagram and did not re-release it. The Sauvage fragrance line continued without the 'We Are the Land' campaign. The case is cited in discussions about cultural appropriation in luxury marketing.
Sources
- CNBC: Dior Sauvage perfume ad campaign criticized for use of Native American culture
- NBC News: Dior accused of racism and cultural appropriation in new Sauvage cologne ad
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