Dove's Facebook ad showed a Black woman removing her shirt to become a white woman

In October 2017, Dove, Unilever's personal care brand, posted a 3-second video ad on Facebook showing a Black woman removing her brown T-shirt to reveal a white woman underneath, who then removed her shirt to reveal a third woman. The ad was intended to show that Dove body wash is for 'every woman,' regardless of skin color.

But the visual — a Black woman 'becoming' a white woman after using the product — was immediately interpreted as suggesting that Dove makes Black women white. The clip went viral with condemnation, and the hashtag #BoycottDove trended. Dove pulled the ad and issued an apology, saying it 'missed the mark.'

The case illustrated how a well-intentioned diversity message can produce imagery that reinforces the very stereotype it aims to counter. The creative team was focused on the 'transformation' visual and failed to consider how the racial dynamics of the transformation would be read. In a 3-second clip, there is no time for nuance — only the image, and the image said the wrong thing.