UK Regulator ASA Blocks Sanex Shower Gel Commercial Over Racial Stereotype Concerns

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said that it reviewed the Sanex commercial after receiving two complaints about its June broadcast.

The ad depicted a black model with visible scratch marks, another with cracked clay-like skin, and later a white woman showering while a voice-over described the product’s hydration benefits. Colgate-Palmolive, which owns Sanex, said the intention was to show inclusivity through “before and after” scenarios with diverse models, a view also supported by Clearcast, the body that approves TV ads. The ASA, however, found that the way the ad was structured linked black skin with discomfort and white skin with positive results, ruling it breached the UK broadcast advertising code. The commercial has been prohibited from further broadcast.