Unilever agrees to pull TRESemmé products from shelves
Unilever has agreed to withdraw the TRESemmé brand from all retail outlets for a period of ten days.
The company met with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on Thursday following a racist advertising campaign for TRESemmé on the Clicks website.
Clicks and Unilever came under fire after a TRESemmé advert on the health and beauty retailer's website depicted black people's hair as "dry and dull" while white people's hair was depicted as "normal”.
The advert triggered EFF protests outside Clicks stores countrywide, with the party demanding that its outlets be shut down until Friday.
Clicks, Dis-Chem, Makro, Shoprite/ Checkers, Pick N Pay and Woolworths have also removed TRESemme products from their shelves.
In a statement following the meeting, the EFF said Unilever agreed that the advert was offensive and racist, but the two parties could not agree on the publishing of the names of people responsible for the racist image.
Spokesperson Vuyani Pambo says the director involved in the campaign has since left the company and the country.
“Unilever has made a commitment that following its internal investigations, the necessary disciplinary action will be taken against those remaining in the company in line with its policies. Upon the conclusion of the internal process, Unilever will take the EFF and the country into confidence.
“Unilever expresses its remorse to all South Africans, black women in particular, for the racist Tresemmé SA image.”
Unilever will also donate a minimum of 10 000 sanitary towels and sanitisers to informal settlements identified by the EFF.
“In line with this, the EFF and Unilever have put the matter in question to rest. We have agreed to hold further discussions on transformation within Unilever relating to procurement, empowerment, employment equity and localization,” says Pambo.
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Clicks drops TRESemmé brand, products replaced with 'immediate effect'
The health and beaty retailer has also accepted the resignation of one of its senior executives responsible for the racist ad campaign that has so angered South Africans. The TRESemmé advert on the company's website depicted black people's hair as "dry and dull" while white people's hair was depicted as "normal".
