Prime News Ghana

NIVEA "insults" black skin with racist billboard ad in the centre of Accra

By PrimeNewsGhana
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German personal care brand NIVEA has incurred the wrath of Ghanaians with a billboard advertisement promoting a product that would make the skin fairer.

The billboards sighted in some parts of Accra have the bold inscription "FOR VISIBLY FAIRER SKIN" with a fair woman in the backdrop, buying into the racist stereotype that being fair skinned is a sign of beauty, intelligence and elegance.

Some visibly offended Ghanaians have taken to social media to express their disgust at the advertisement, demanding that the billboard be pulled down immediately.

A comment from a prominent journalist on facebook read "Dear Nivea, Who told you, one must be light skin to be beautiful? We love our skin in it's original creation.  You can never be wiser than the God who gave us our beautiful black skin. This is offensive. Better change your marketing strategy. #PullItDownNow".

Others are infuriated at how the German brand could literally denigrate the black skin by promoting a product which would change the color of the skin.

The promotion of the product flies in the face of efforts by Ghanaian authorities to clamp down on bleaching in the country due to it's adverse health effects.

The Food and Drugs Authority recently intensified efforts to remove products with harmful substances that supposedly makes the skin fairer to the detriment of the user.

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