As part of its measures, Unilever said that it would set up an advisory board and a diversity committee after apologising for the TRESemmé advert, which it admitted was racist.
A hair product advert by retailer Clicks.
JOHANNESBURG – Unilever said that it was taking further steps to ensure that future advertising campaigns reflected South Africans’ values.
The company said that it would be reviewing all its marketing campaigns and images in its South Africa portfolio after it came under fire for its TRESemmé advert.
The ad was published on the Clicks website and described images of African black hair as “frizzy and dull,” while a white woman’s hair was referred to as “normal”.
This triggered three days of nationwide protests led by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), forcing the retailer to close its doors.
As part of its measures, Unilever said that it would set up an advisory board and a diversity committee after apologising for the hair care advert, which it admitted was racist.
The company said that it had learnt from this failing and would accelerate its efforts to support transformation, represent all communities and promote inclusion in South Africa.
It will also develop programmes to deliver immediate support to black hair stylists and small professional salons.
Unilever agreed to pull all its TRESemmé hair care products from South African retail stores for 10 days after some retailers had already begun distancing themselves from the products.
