Racial Stereotyping in Advertising

February 23rd 2013

Racist Stereotyping in Advertising

Companies will do just about anything to sell their product. But does that make it okay for their advertisements to be racially stereotypical? In my opinion, some stereotypes are okay but there is a fine line that can be crossed. People need to understand that this world is filled with stereotypes, and just because some are exploited more than others, it does not mean they are true. Some people say that Asians are more advanced at mathematics, but the fact that this notion is being said a lot does not make it true 100% of the time, and therefore there is no reason to be offended. With that being said, there are stereotypes in advertisements that are completely unnecessary.

A lot of racism in advertisements took place in the 1960’s and earlier when racism was very prevalent. However, there are still racists advertisements that come out every now and then. A print advertisement for Dove body wash for women that came out in 2011 crosses the line. The ad shows two pictures of skin, one looking scaly and dry and the other soft and moisturized. The word “before” is on the dry picture and the word “after” is on the moisturized one. The problem with that ad is the three women and the order they are in. It starts with the dark woman, next to the word “before,” then next is a little bit lighter woman, and then finally there is a white woman next to the word “after.” The advertisement makes it seem as if having lighter, whiter skin is better or more beautiful.

I believe advertisers should have ethical responsibilities. They are given a medium that is capable of reaching a huge audience, and with that comes responsibility. It is immature and unethical to use racial stereotypes in advertisements, as it may not even make the product sell better in the first place.