To think skin colour matters WAY more than people like to admit

[daysayso]

I am involved in marketing campaigns - I won't say what because it's outing but let's say I recently worked on a campaign where the service being provided had absolutely nothing to do with race (so it wasn't makeup or hair for example).

Yet the vast majority that responded were people of colour (Same as the person featured in the ad) and it made me think how much your life chances are still dictated by your skin colour.

People like to consider race more than they like to admit even in spaces where it has nothing to do with anything, people just seem to feel more 'comfortable' with their own.

I felt for the first time in a long time my success will in part depend on my skin colour because for whatever reason the majority of white people that saw this ad decided it wasn't for them on the basis I'm someone of colour.

Please no arguments I'm looking for a mature conversation and if you find the topic sensitive you need not respond

Just looking for others experiences really

No, not any more or less than male privilege is sexist (which it isn't at all).

The ability to acknowledge ones (advantageous) position is what's required to help overcome our conscious and unconscious biases. It's not offensive to me to try and understand how I might be more privileged (so to speak) than my black friends, despite being East Asian. This privilege applies at all levels but being white is the default so puts you in the most advantageous position, racially speaking.

Gosh, is it?

I agree. It is exhausting apologizing for white privilege on top of everything else we have to educate ourselves on these days!!!!

I am white . White privilege totally exists. I live in a scummy area and hear the term 'playing the race card' often. I liken it to when I hear an 'harmless' comment that my husband doesn't even notice, but living in a world where I have been constantly exposed to low level sexism, I immediately recognise the intent.

He wouldn't recognise the inherent sexism, because he hasn't been exposed to it.
I won't recognise the inherent racism, because I haven't been exposed to it.

Both of them exist.

Thats a really poor example to use

I personally, just thinking about it, havent seen a white doctor for nearly 50 years, not since I was a child.

The biggest ethnic minority group in the UK are Asian, as in Indian subcontinent Asian who make up the majority of non white GPs (not sure about other doctors)

They are also the least represented visually on adverts and social media etc. Its quite an odd thing that 'diversity' has focused on showing black African or black Caribbean families when Asian people are the much bigger group yet are virtually ignored.

You are so funny! Huuuge chip on your shoulder. But you’re amusing. Thank you for the smiles

I'm always amazed that the woke folk who go around lecturing people don't see their own hypocrisy when culturally appropriating the struggles of POC.

Hilarious

I mean... you missed the point widely there! I'm starting to feel like some people on this thread are purposefully ignoring the point lol.

Racially speaking yes. On a personal Level no

You’re welcome hun xx

Thank you hun! Xx

And you've just proven in one post exactly that you don't understand the concept of white privilege. Yet are happy to criticise it and pick fault all the same.

How is that hilarious??? In fact... I'm done feeding the trolls for tonight because I'm pretty sure thats what this is now. If you don't believe me then look up maternal mortality rates in the UK for black and white women and you'll see there's a big difference in how likely they are to survive childbirth just for an example. Nothing funny in that that I can see...

And if someone is say black or Asian, why do we have to pretend they aren't

I don't see why there's any pretending to be done; just not dwelling on it where it isn't necessary. If you're sending a visitor up to speak to Colin on the 6th floor, and Colin is the only black person on the whole floor, of course you would mention it as a simple way of helping to identify him. But, unless you had some bizarre hangup, you wouldn't say "I'm off on Friday, as I'm going to York for the day with my black friend Colin."

Representation matters.

I work in marketing and we choose images that matches our target audience. It stops the scroll, they can see themselves. It resonates.

im a professional but I’m also a middle aged mother. Don’t put pictures of middle aged men in suits on products or services you want to sell to me.

Babies seek what is familiar as that is safest. They’re not racist.

I’m not sure kids would notice skin colour difference any more than eye or hair colour difference unless we created the difference.

There is prejudice amongst same race people.

(I know there is racism btw)

I think you are confusing me with someone else, I have explained the concept to someone else, I understand it perfectly

Not agreeing with you about the practical application and the impact of the concept in the UK is not the same as 'not understanding it'

Perhaps you struggle with people disagreeing with you

You’ve fed them and they’ve revealed their true colours so job’s a good ‘un 👍

Good luck with that! Can’t say this, can’t say that! It’s a while minefield. Ask what can you say then you’re ‘uneducated’

It’s nothing new OP. 35-odd years ago I thought Timotei shampoo was only suitable for blonde hair because every TV, billboard and magazine advert featured a different blonde haired white woman.

And racially speaking is exactly what it's about. What's difficult to understand about that.

You want to understand intersectionality too? You sound like someone who wants to learn. But I can see why people are skeptical about your intent.

Best go Google.

That is so true. And we never bought it in our family because we assumed it wasn’t for us.

God thats brought back memories that I felt exactly the same!

If only I had lovely blond hair I could use that lovely shampoo!!

Yes of course advertising is only concerned with reaching its biggest target market and selling as much as it can. Theres nothing altruistic about it!

Not when you look at for example the rates of maternal mortality. There's a huge discrepancy in outcomes for white women compared to black women that statistics don't lie. And while you may not have seen a white doctor in the while isn't the case for me, I live in a part of the UK that is vastly majority white and all of the doctors in my surgery are white. So while that might be your experience and true to where you live, that isn't standardised across the board and the statistics don't back you up.

Dialling right back to the OP, and the customers 'identifying' with the people in the adverts, it does seem weird when you consider that so many adverts for walk-in baths and aids whose main target demographic would be elderly and disabled people feature apparently healthy models under 35; and fashion ranges specifically aimed at larger women (or just hugely stressing the fact that they go up to a much larger size than is standard) still use models who are a size 12.