Sanex shower gel ad banned over racial stereotype
A Sanex shower gel advertisement has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK due to its portrayal of a racial stereotype. The commercial depicts a Black woman standing in a shower while another woman uses the product off-camera. The ASA received multiple complaints about the ad, arguing that it perpetuated harmful stereotypes about cleanliness and personal hygiene among people of color.
Sanex defended the advertisement, stating that their intention was to highlight the effectiveness of their product for all skin types. They explained that the two women in the ad were meant to represent different skin types rather than different races. Despite their explanation, the ASA ruled that the ad breached the advertising code by reinforcing negative racial stereotypes.
The decision to ban the Sanex shower gel ad comes amid a broader conversation about racial representation in advertising and the impact of stereotypical portrayals on society. The ASA’s ruling serves as a reminder to brands about the importance of considering the implications of their marketing campaigns and the need to promote diversity and inclusion.
The ASA has ordered Sanex not to broadcast the ad again in its current form and to ensure that their future advertising complies with the advertising code. Sanex has accepted the ruling and confirmed that they will not use the commercial in question moving forward.
This incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by advertisers in creating campaigns that are both effective and socially responsible, particularly when it comes to issues of race and representation.
Sources Analysis:
ASA – The Advertising Standards Authority is a regulatory body in the UK responsible for overseeing advertising standards. While its primary goal is to ensure ads are legal, decent, honest, and truthful, it may have its own biases when interpreting certain advertisements.
Sanex – As the brand behind the banned ad, Sanex has a vested interest in defending its commercial and maintaining a positive brand image. Their statements should be viewed with this bias in mind.
Fact Check:
The ban of the Sanex shower gel ad by the ASA – Verified fact, as it is a public regulatory decision.
Multiple complaints were received about the ad – Verified fact, based on reported information.
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Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “Sanex shower gel ad banned over racial stereotype”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.