Is there still racism in advertising today? Are there still racist brands? Who can end racism? Governments? Big corporations? If we fight against racism in advertising, it will be because we have always been against it, not because "everyone" is doing it. We know that racism was intensely used by European countries from the late 19th century to justify the legality of colonial domination, jingoism, and genocide in various parts of the world. The mere fact that there was no representation in this area is already racism, which is accentuated even more when we see a white person representing the society of "good" and next to them a black person representing the opposite. In recent years, this trend has changed and, as a result of society's protests, among other causes, racism in advertising has begun to be eliminated.
Advertising is like a game of mirrors, that is, society is reflected in ads, but advertising also shows the reality of those consumers. If we ever see a case of racism in advertising, we must think about why that ad exists and what values have been detected in society to reach that final product. A study on prejudice and inclusion in advertising found that it is more common to see white models playing workers in ads.
Today we see it as totally normal for, for example, a black person to appear in a beauty ad, when a few years ago, that was a scandal. Behind this rejection of racism in advertising are the brands, therefore, the advertising world must also become aware of the situation and look for the appropriate ways to reconstruct certain values instilled in society.
Implicit in them is a supposed white superiority. The differences between folk clothing and contemporary fashion stand out, something that the man's downward gaze and the woman's indifference emphasize even more. In addition, indigenous peoples are objectified as something to be seen on vacation and to take a selfie.
Sears responded to user complaints by tweeting that it celebrates Mexican culture but did not remove the ads.
In 2017, a Dove ad featured a black woman who, when taking off her shirt, turned into a white woman. Although Dove intended to convey a message of diversity, it reminded many consumers of old soap ads that portrayed black people as dirty. After receiving complaints, the campaign was canceled and Dove began reviewing its advertising content.
In a Dolce & Gabbana campaign for the Asian market, a Chinese model was shown trying to use chopsticks to eat Italian food. This deeply offended luxury consumers and Chinese celebrities, who withdrew their support for the brand. The ads were removed but sales in the region plummeted.
Another more recent case was Volkswagen and its Instagram Stories content, with which it sought to advertise one of its vehicles. In it, a black person is pushed and manipulated by a giant white hand, while the message 'Der Neue Golf' is formed, which at one point manages to form the word commonly used to insult people of color.
These examples show that advertising must review its values and eradicate any anglo-eurocentric residue that may support discriminatory thinking, often rooted in the colonial period.
Today we laugh at ads from 70 years ago and their reflection of negative gender stereotypes: women trapped in their homes washing or not knowing how to drive properly. The same exercise will be carried out in 2050, when analyzing advertising and its relationship to today's social and cultural norms.