Key takeaways
- The ASA banned a Sanex shower gel advert for breaching BCAP Code rule 4.2 on harm and offence.
- The ad was criticised for portraying black skin as problematic and white skin as superior.
- Colgate-Palmolive defended the ad’s intent, citing diversity and inclusivity.
- The ASA concluded the ad could reinforce negative racial stereotypes.
- Brands are urged to exercise greater sensitivity in skin tone representation.
The advert, which aired on UK television in June 2025, stated: “To those whose skin will feel dried out even by water,” while showing an image of a Black woman with red scratch marks and another covered with a cracked, clay-like material.
It continued: “Take a shower with the new Sanex skin therapy and its patented amino acid complex. For 24-hour hydration feel,” alongside a visual of a white woman showering with the Sanex product, adding: “Relief could be as simple as a shower.”
Complaints challenge “racial stereotypes” in Sanex ad
Two complainants believed the ad perpetuated negative stereotypes about people with darker skin tones and challenged whether it was offensive.
Colgate-Palmolive (UK) Ltd said it was aiming to provide solutions for all types of skin, regardless of the individual’s background. The firm noted that, as part of its commitment to diversity, the ad featured models with varied skin tones and ethnicities.
A Sanex spokesperson said: “Our advert was intended to highlight how our skin therapy range supports healthy skin across a variety of skin types. At Sanex, our mission is to champion skin health for all.”
Clearcast, which undertakes a three-step clearance process for adverts shown in the UK market to ensure they are appropriate for national television, also believed that the advert did not perpetuate negative racial stereotypes and instead demonstrated the product’s inclusivity.
However, the complaint was upheld by the ASA, as the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising (BCAP) Code requires marketers to ensure that ads do not contain anything likely to cause serious or widespread offence, with particular care taken to avoid causing offence on grounds of various characteristics, including race.
ASA ruling highlights risks in skin tone representation
The ASA accepted that the ad was structured in such a way that it was the black skin that was shown to be problematic, whereas the white skin was depicted as smooth and clean after using the product. The ASA considered that this “could be interpreted as suggesting that white skin was superior to black skin.”
“Although we understood that this message was not the one intended and might appear coincidental or pass unnoticed by some viewers, we considered that the ad was likely to reinforce the negative and offensive racial stereotype that black skin was problematic and that white skin was superior,” it said.
“We concluded that the ad included a racial stereotype and was therefore likely to cause serious offence.”
The ad breached BCAP Code rule 4.2 (harm and offence), and the regulator has instructed Colgate-Palmolive to take greater care to avoid causing offence on the grounds of race in future advertising.
