A television advertisement for Sanex shower gel has been banned in the UK for promoting colorism, the discrimination or prejudice based on skin color. The ad was criticized for suggesting that dark skin is undesirable and that lighter skin is superior. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) intervened following complaints that the ad conveyed negative messages about people with darker complexions.
The advertisement, which aired in June, showed a Black woman scratching her skin, revealing red marks, and another woman appearing covered in cracked, dry material. The voiceover said: “For those who itch day and night. For those whose skin dries up even with water.”
The advertisement then showed a white woman using the shower gel. The voiceover continued, “Take a shower with the new Sanex Skin Therapy and its patented amino acid complex. Experience 24-hour hydration.” The ad concluded with, “Relief from a shower can be just as easy.”