Nivea has ignited a social media firestorm for its ‘visibly fairer skin’ billboard in Accra. Throughout Sunday, a social media campaign was launched in which African women posted selfies next to the Nivea billboard with the hash tags: #NiveaTakeItDown and #ILoveMYShadeofBrown.
The social media campaign is part affirmation and part demand. The West African women affirm they love their various shades of Brown skin while demanding Nivea pull down what is considered a racist and deeply offensive Billboard.
Some of the women who have been Tweeting include the singer Wiyaala, creator of Ghana web series ‘An African City’ Nicole Amarteifio, Commentator, Lecturer and Columnist Esther Armah, Ghanaian-American award winning writer Nana Brew Hammond, Ghana-based Nigerian Charlotte Ashamu of The Dabira Design Market and Pepper Dem Ministry member Efe Plange.
The women are all West African. This social media campaign began in Ghana and has now attracted Ghanaian women in the Diaspora.
The women say they are using social media as a battleground to inform Nivea of their outrage and continue to demand that Nivea – a global brand whose parent company is Beiersdorf – take down this huge billboard. Some men also joined in the campaign. One Ghanaian man tweeted his own selfie and the Billboard with the same hash tags.
As the social media campaign gathers steam and Tweets dominated Sunday’s social media landscape, articles also began to be published by prominent international publications condemning the Ad. The articles have appeared in The Guardian, NPR, Newsweek and Teen Vogue.
Here are some of the Tweets:-
I’m a fan of Nivea products But
I am not happy with this ” Visibly Fairer” promotion. #ILoveMYShadeOfBrown #NiveaTakeItDown pic.twitter.com/5MD572iBsk— Theodora Aidoo (@theodoraaidoo) October 22, 2017
#ILoveMyShadeOfBrown #NiveaTakeItDown @niveauk @NIVEAUSA @NIVEANL pic.twitter.com/GdZ1NrDRIC
— Daniel Oppong Sarfo (@DanielOppongSar) October 22, 2017
#ILoveMyShadeOfBrown #NiveaTakeItDown @NIVEAUSA @niveauk @Bridget_Otoo @fiyawata @nanaekua @AllThingsAfrica @Rubyabenaofori @coashamu @efplange_gh pic.twitter.com/Ba5xkuk0hw
— EstherArmah (@estherarmah) October 22, 2017
#ilovemyshadeofbrown #NiveaTakeItDown #pullitdownnow #Ghana cc: @NIVEAUSA @niveauk pic.twitter.com/qbPfMeB2ZT
— Nicole Amarteifio (@AllThingsAfrica) October 22, 2017
#ILoveMyShadeOfBrown #NiveaTakeItDown pic.twitter.com/NoKawv0xqS
— Charlotte (@coashamu) October 22, 2017
#ILoveMyShadeOfBrown #NiveaTakeItDown #PULLITDOWNNOW #ForVisiblyDarkerSkin @niveauk @FuseODG @estherarmah @AllThingsAfrica @Bridget_Otoo pic.twitter.com/Y3pgbyNisA
— Efe Plange (@efplange_gh) October 22, 2017
Nivea issued a statement last week in response to the initial social media condemnation. However, those participating in the social media campaign say the statement defends what they say is indefensible.
