Supermodel Naomi Campbell is taking legal action when a Cadbury ad referenced her against its white milk chocolate product. Cadbury launched a chocolate bar campaign for their three new flavors of Bliss chocolate. The slogan for Cadbury’s new chocolate says “Move over Naomi, there’s a new diva in town.” The picture in the ad showed the white milk chocolate bar in a bed of diamonds. Under the diamonds are the words, “I’m the world’s most pampered bar.” The campaign was circulating in newspapers and supermarkets in the U.K.
The supermodel was very upset with the ad saying that it is racist. The ad used her name and Naomi said the ad is describing her color as chocolate, an adjective she and her mother didn’t like. Naomi said this to a newspaper in the U.K. (Independent), “I am shocked. It’s upsetting to be described as chocolate, not just for me, but for all black women and black people. I do not find any humor in this. It is insulting and hurtful.”
Naomi’s mother, Valerie Morris is very supportive of her daughter’s point and feelings saying, “I’m deeply upset by this racist advert. Do these people think they can insult black people and we just take it? This is the 21st century, not the 1950s. Shame on Cadbury.”
The controversial supermodel who is famous for her bad attitude and her cellphone hurling past to her maid that won her the honor to do community service is also supported by the British organization Operation Black Vote.
Operation Black Vote’s spokesman, Simon Woolley, also told the Independent that he has contacted Cadbury’s owner Kraft in the U.S. and has told Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. “I want them to know what their parent company is doing in Europe. I’ve asked them to support us.” Operation Black Vote wants Kraft to apologize and is calling out for consumers to boycott Kraft’s products.
Cadbury didn’t issue and apology and just said that they are no longer running the ad. Krafts Food released a statement saying, “It was certainly never our intention to cause any offence and the campaign itself is a light-hearted take on the social pretensions of Cadbury Dairy Milk Bliss. Cadbury takes its responsibility very seriously indeed and we would never produce any marketing activity we felt might cause offence to any section of society.”
Simon Woolley however wasn’t pleased of Cadbury’s action and of their inability to issue an apology to the public. “Racism in the playground starts with black children being called ‘chocolate bar. At best, this is insensitive, and at worst it demonstrates Cadbury’s utter disregard for causing offense. Its lack of apology just adds insult to injury. The Eurocentric joke is not funny to black people.”
Read Also
