A Thai beauty ad is stirring some major shit, causing a storm of criticism in Thailand and abroad.
"Just being white, you will win," says Cris Horwang, a smiling pale-skinned actress, in the 50-second spot by Seoul Secret, a Thai beauty company. Without the advertised pill, "the whiteness I have invested in, will just vanish," she warns.
In the ad, her skin is digitally altered to turn cartoonish black. Horwang promises that the product, called Snowz, "will help you not to return to being dark. Eternally white, I am confident."
On Friday evening, Seoul Secret pulled the video from its online platforms and issued a statement.
"(We) would like to apologize for the mistake and claim full responsibility for this incident. Our company did not have any intention to convey discriminatory or racist messages," it said.
"What we intended to convey was that self-improvement in terms of personality, appearance, skills, and professionality (sic) is crucial."
This isn't the first time a Thai ad has drawn accusations of racism.
In 2013, a Dunkin Donuts ad campaign in Bangkok's train system showed a woman with her face painted black with the slogan 'Break every rule of deliciousness." The company later apologized.
That same year, ads for a skin-whitening cream by Unilever suggested the company would offer university scholarships to students with fairer skin. The ads sparked a wide debate about skin color, and the company said it hadn't meant to "suggest racial discrimination," while apologizing for any "misunderstandings."
ONTD, would you take a daily pill to stay white?
