13 Comments

  1. That is jaw-droppingly bad. I know different cultures have different standards of beauty, but that was beyond wrong. Strangely, around here, it’s tanning agents that are all the rage. No one would dream of trying to be whiter! I guess that’s why that was so jarring.

    It’s completely irrelevant to the point, but that particular brown lady was a thousand times more attractive than the whiter woman. Ugh. I guess they’re marketing what sells, right? To an American brain, though, that’s just bizarre and racist.
    .-= Cindy´s last blog ..Tillen Farms Giveaway =-.

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  2. It is odd to see Pond’s do a commercial like this, BUT these skin “whitening” products are very popular in india. They have created a viscious cycle of marketting, and consumer demand. If they don’t sell this stuff, they’re loosing to other major cosmetic companies.
    Overall I think this whole whitening campaign is wrong…The problem is the majority of bollywood starlettes are very pale in comparison to the average indian. Maybe they should just advertise sunscreen?
    (My boyfriend is Indian, and he gets super dark in the summer time here in Canada!)

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  7. Totally racist! Just because her skin is now lighter, he wants to be with her?! This is disgusting. Basically this company is saying white people are more attractive. Do people actually go for this??
    Huh, not only that… I wonder how much (probably ridiculously expensive) jars of this cream she has to use to turn white. And do they put it all over their body? Otherwise the difference in colour below the neckline would be weird…
    .-= willowsprite´s last blog .."Helping" put up the tree =-.

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  8. OMG – I am appalled!! I cannot believe that Pond’s would put this on the air?? Do people really feel this way. I totally agree with Cindy, the darker skined woman was SO much prettier than the light skined woman!! Besides that it is just a racist commercial – as the saying goes, “Beauty is only skin {no matter the color} deep.”
    I will NEVER buy another Ponds product again!! Please forward these comments along with the video to Ponds and let them know what we all think of their disgusting commercial.
    Thanks Grace for letting us know this type of advertising exists.
    .-= Lorie Shewbridge´s last blog ..Cartoon of the Day: Parents, Be Specific =-.

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  9. yes, i know that people actually do think this way in some cultures. when i lived in the dominican republic, people would not ask if a newly-born baby was a boy or a girl. people would ask how the infant’s skin tone was. the whiter, the better.

    it’s disturbing to know that people think that way. i agree with prior commenters that the woman in the ad is gorgeous with her brown skin.

    i know that it’s the job of beauty-related companies to make money off of people’s insecurities, but this is really offensive.
    .-= JuliaA´s last blog ..death of a mousie =-.

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  11. Whilst the more civilised amongst us might cry “disgusting”, “disappointing” and “racist” you’ve got to stop and think: who’s really at fault? Is it really the beauty industry? They’re just responding to consumer demand. Where did that consumer demand come from? Is it because celebrities are mainly fair/white? Nope: we idolise Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Cuba Gooding Jnr, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Beyonce, Alicia Keys. Perhaps the answer is easier than people might want to accept and acknowledge: racism exists whether we like it or not. And yes: the beauty industry and Ponds should know better but as long as racism exists: so will creams like this.
    Does history have a part in this? Does negative press have a part? Crime reports? Anti-social behaviour?

    So… you’re really going to boycott Ponds? Whilst you’re at it, how about boycotting:
    Chanel: http://www.cosmetics-online.net/Chanel-whitening-mask.htm
    Dior: http://www.splendicity.com/articles/dior-diorsnow-sublissime-collection/
    SKII: http://www.joseibi.com/product.asp?str=5313
    L’Oreal: http://www.bizrate.com/loreal-skin-whitening-products/
    Garnier: http://www.mywomenstuff.com/2008/05/24/review-skincare-garnier-skin-naturals-light-whitening-infusion-tissue-mask/

    The multi-million dollar market in whitening creams is huge and in any of the beauty counters in, say for example, Singapore: these ranges are sold alongside the traditional ‘western’ ranges.

    These creams are hugely successful in Asia and Africa and any countries with large Asian/African communities. The reason it’s not sold in Europe,US, Australia is because of stringent sales and advertising laws which do not allow advertising which promotes inequality whether it be race, creed, sexuality, gender or ability.
    Perhaps this is the ugly side of society that we don’t like to think about but yet still exists – oh yes it does: openly in UK, US, Europe, Australia amongst other countries.

    The ‘West’ is not entirely to blame – Indians are racist to their own, same with the Africans and Asians.

    The only thing we can do is not allow ourselves, parents, friends and children to believe that fair is more superior. This is the only way – we can take it baby steps at a time but in some societies: fairness in beauty is so ingrained that people will take great risks with their health (hydroquinone 3rd degree burns anyone?) to achieve this.

    I truly agree..if we start picking out brands with whitening products, we couldn’t stop at just Ponds. I grew up in the Philippines seeing tons and tons of whitening products used by girls who are as young as 15 or 16!!

    These brands/companies are, you are exactly right, just responding to consumer demands! The Philippines society thinks and prefers women who are fairer – celebrities who are fairer than the normal Filipino brown skin are more popular than their counterparts. “Whiter” girls get more attention (that’s why I didn’t have a boyfriend until I was 20?) Hmmm.

    >>Indians are racist to their own
    I so agree and see it everyday here in Dubai!

    Thank you for your long and thought-provoking comment!

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