On Wednesday, German skin care brand Nivea faced internet outrage over an advertisement that featured the tagline "White Is Purity".
The ad was supposed to promote the company's Invisible deodorant, and was posted on their [Middle Eastern] Facebook page with the caption "keep it clean, keep it bright. Don’t let anything ruin it".
Following widespread criticism, the post/advertisement was pulled.
A representative for Nivea's parent company Beiersdorf told the New York Times that the ad was meant to speak to the idea that the color black was "strength" and white was "purity" — the two colors of the deodorant can.
Many critics aren't buying the explanation, as Nivea released a controversial ad in 2011 that featured a black man throwing away his Afro and "re-civilizing" himself.
What do you think of all of this?