"New Face of Ferrero" competition - only white children should apply?

[RedApple11]

Just bought a pack of Ferrero treats for my DD and was shocked at what looks like a blatantly discriminatory campaign. The new "Faces of Ferrero" (ie, the winning children whose images will be used to promote Ferrero products) are all white and fair featured. Five boys, one girls. Are only fair white children attractive enough to be the Face of Ferrero then?

I contacted Ferrero about this and was told:

"We would like to stress that the competition was judged purely on the basis of the children's responses to the question which was: "what they want to be when they grow up and why?".

So I investigated further and discovered that actually, what a crock that was. In fact, all entrants were required to upload their children's photos in order to have a valid entry and these images were then displayed in a gallery. See www.faceofkinder.com/terms.php and scroll down to section 9.3 which states:

"The photograph must have been taken within the last 6 months before it is sent as an entry in the competition. The child must be fully clothed. Whilst entrants may crop and enlarge photographs, they must not submit a photograph which has been substantially altered. By entering into the competition, the entrant agrees that the promoter can visit the child to check that the photograph is an accurate representation of him or her. No changes will be permitted to photographs accepted into the Gallery after the voting period opens on 30th May."

Anyway, the wonderfully white and photogenic winners can all be found here: www.faceofkinder.com/gallery.php

Don't get me wrong, these kids are all gorgeous and this isn't sour grapes - I had no idea about this competition and wouldn't have entered my DD into it anyway.

That said, I think it's outragous that in this day and age, a company like Ferrero can get away with promoting the idea that only fair white children are attractive enough to be the Face of Ferrero. This seems wrong on so many levels.

YABU and a loon.

According to Wikipedia, the 92% (as of 2001 census) of the UK is white. So surely mostly white children will enter the competition because is the UK is mostly white.

Also, have you clicked on any of the other tabs on the weblink you provided? Of the three official model children, only 1 of 3 is white. That is OVERrepresentation of minorities if the country is 92% white.

I'm going to take the opportunity to say

RedApple with this open invitation to bun fight....you are spoiling us

On a very serious note, Do you understand how these petty arguments devalue the true racism that is going on in the world OP?

These silly little campaigns to find offence in everything and anything, Nit picking and twisting words to prove something that isn't there are damaging to the people who are being subjected to hate crimes and segregation every day.

I suggest you focus on real issues instead of seeking out offence.

Why does it matter exactly? 90 percent of people in the UK are white!

Id be more offended if any child of mine were chosen out of tokenism!

yabu. you have issues imo.

Caucasians form the ethnic majority in Britain. If 5000 children entered, and those children were a representative sample* of Britain, then it would be quite likely that the 6 winners would end up being white, even if the criterion for winning was a creative essay.

*I would, at this point, suggest that Ferraro chocolates are dead poncy/middle class and thus the pool of entrants must have been heavily skewed. Think yourself lucky none of those adorable bridemaids from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding entered!

Are Ferrero Rocher middle class?

I thought they were dead working class and 'naff' and people only eat them because they think they're posh. Not cos they actually are.

Green and Blacks all the way for me missus!

should have been a I think. To indicate irony.

for this to be racist you would have to know the ethnicity ( and not just your guesstimate according to some not always very good pics) of every entrant as well as the statistics of the general population as to ethnicity.

Is the stastics were out of proportion... say 90% of entrants were non caucasion appearance but all winners were then there might be a case of possible racism. If 90 % of entrants are caucasion in appearance then maybe its not unreasonalbe that 6 winners MAY be fully caucasion in appearance as well as actual parental ethnicity.

I dont take any notice usually but when I am prompted to consider it ........I think the uk is still comprised of mainly people of caucasion / european ish appearance. That is only mentioned as relevant in any possible statistical analysis of this situation !

I think OP that you are probably BU

They must be posh, 'cos I've never seen them on special offer. in fact, I've only ever seen them on TV.

Bugger Green & Black's. It simply must be Thorntons, daaaahling!

They often sell FR in our local Wilkinsons (not that I ever go in there, you understand!!!!!!).

so definitely not posh

BigJessie On offer in our local Spar right now....erm so I'm told (Only wait rose will do for me dear)

rose? rose? damn you autocorrect...that should be WAitrose

I totally agree with purpleromam ..... just as an almost any *ism such as race / disability when its gets to being nitpicky stuff and subjectiveness it alientates and makes people get fed up of the whole subject ..... then when summat really serious comes along people take little notice.

YABU and taking the piss out of people who actually do suffer racism

I take it your kid didnt win, bummer.

Really? Which shelf?

Golly, if I'd ever seen them, I'd probably have bought them.

Firstly it is possible that only white families applied.

Secondly YANBU. because frankly how many adverts for anything feature ethnic minorities of any denomination? Very little. White sells is the message that only non-whites usually pick up on. It's not paranoid thinking, it is just the fact of the world we live in. And yes I would be pissed off too.

BigJessie I don't know, I'm far too middle class to shop there lol

"A famous chef so I can make my signature dish."
One of the six winners - out of 5000 entrants.

I take it all back, the photos clearly paid no part in this. It must just be a coincidence that a photo upload was required and that all the winners are attractive.

YABU. If 92% of people in the UK are white, and the entrants mirrored that stat, there's a 60.6% of this happening entirely by chance.

However, I suspect it's mostly middle class stay-at-home mums bothering with this kind of shit, for which the demographic will be even less diverse.

Deal with it.

I think most children are attractive, fwiw.

Do you? I htink most of them are horrid little things

Hully

You monster!

I generally find they all scrub up well.

And for the cynics out there who think this is somehow sour grapes, I don't enter my kids into beauty pagents/face of... competitions etc. Who needs that sort of affirmation to tell them their kids are gorgeous?

I'm simply pointing out that we have a huge kids brand here who is actively promoting a message that white is beautiful. In this day and age, really? That's ok?