Clothing giant H&M has apologized and removed an advertising image of a black model in a sweatshirt with the words “Coolest monkey in the jungle.”
The brand removed the image, but kept in place other designs modeled by white children.
U.K. Labour Party lawmaker Kate Osamor tweeted that she was “totally shocked, dismayed to say the very least” by the image and, addressing H&M, asked “do you think this imagery is an appropriate representation of a young black boy?”
The retailer said Monday that the “image has now been removed from all H&M channels and we sincerely apologize to anyone this may have offended.”
(AP)
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2 Responses
This is not the first audacious ad placed on an online clothing website in the last several years. I’m wondering if they are using it as a tactic to grow their customer base w/o advertising. Clever, but dirty way to do business. “Post something appalling and then apologize for the mishap (adding the company’s firm policy against discrimination).” Today everybody is talking about you, tomorrow they remember your site when needing an item to purchase. By then they’ll forgive and forget and you’ll have a new customer to add to your client base. All this without paying a dime in advertising.
Of course, this one goes way beyond previous ads! I wonder how many people will be foolish enough to believe it was an “oversight” to have a black kid model for a hoody that alludes to Blacks as “Monkeys”. Pretty sick if you ask me.
Softwords; I’m white and have a baby outfit with similar wording.