BANGKOK – October 29, 2013 – Unilever’s skin whitening brand Citra has pulled out an ad in Thailand after rampant criticism saying that the spot links good education with whiter skin.
The ad, set on a university campus, features two presenters asking female students what would make them "outstanding in uniform."
A girl with a darker complexion, evidently confused, says she does not know, while a fairer-skinned girl, called beautiful by the presenters, said that Citra products would.
The ad is part of a promotion called the Citra Search for clear, soft and glowing skin, which asks female students to submit their photos in uniform while holding a Citra product. The winner will take home around 100,000 baht.
According to an article on the Guardian, the ad was withdrawn last week after drawing heavy criticism on social media. The competition, however, is still running.
Unilever Thai Trading apologized for any misunderstanding, and said in the article that no suggestion of racial discrimination was intended.
"The Citra brand will exercise greater sensitivity for brand activation campaigns that take place in the future," they said in the Guardian article.
