Dove 'Regrets' Soap Ad Showing Black Woman Turning Into White Woman

Dove has removed a Facebook ad that sparked outrage over the weekend for showcasing its body wash alongside a black woman who was shown pulling off her brown T-shirt to reveal a white woman wearing an ivory T-shirt. 

Screenshots of the ad went viral on social media after makeup artist and model Naomi Leann Blake posted them to her Facebook page on Friday.

As the ad continued, the white woman then took off her shirt and revealed a third woman, shown below.

On Sunday, the Unilever-owned beauty brand posted statements on Twitter and Facebook saying the ad “missed the mark in representing women of color thoughtfully.” 

The official response did little to stem the outrage against the brand, which has come under fire in the past for using racially-insensitive advertising despite marketing itself as a beauty company that celebrates diversity.

Critics, including film producer Tariq Nasheed and historian Francois Soyer, were also quick to point out the history of racist soap advertisements used to sell cleansing products.

Many critics also wondered about the diversity of employees working at Dove: