"The Community"

"THE MANDOM PROJECT"
Gatsby Commercial Juxtaposes Rastafarians with a Chimpanzee


A Community Project sponsored in part by "The Community" Internet Human Rights Group
Coordinator: Steve Silver, Community Member.
(Last Updated June 16, 2005)

Click here to page down to:

THE PROBLEMATIC IMAGE:

(Courtesy www.gatsby.jp, as of June 7, 2005)
PDF version at http://www.debito.org/TheCommunity/MandomAd2.pdf


BACKGROUND: WHY THIS ISSUE MATTERS:

ORIGINAL EMAIL TO THE COMMUNITY:

From: "Steve" <sgsilver@spamcop.net>
Date: Sat May 28, 2005 3:56 pm
Subject: Offensive racist commercial by Gatsby

I regret to inform the Community that I have just discovered one of the most offensive and racist CMs that I have watched in Japan. The CM can be seen via streaming video at:

http://www.gatsby.jp/cm_studio/gallery.html
or, of the ad has disappeared by now,
http://www.debito.org/TheCommunity/30sec03.wmv (30-second version of the ad)
http://www.debito.org/TheCommunity/15sec03.wmv (15-second verion of the ad)

The first CM on the upper left features a group of black men in Rastafarian-looking garb listening to reggae while cleaning their face with a wet towel, the product being advertised. A chimp sitting with them, also dressed in Rastafarian-garb and cleaning its face with a wet towel. The association the CM makes is clear -- black men are like apes, chimpanzees out of the jungle.


(Courtesy www.gatsby.jp, as of June 7, 2005)
PDF version at http://www.debito.org/TheCommunity/MandomAd.pdf

I hope that the Community can take a strong stand against this kind of racist advertising and demand that the company immediately pull its CM off the air and issue a formal apology. I would suggest writing letters to the editor of major English-language and Japanese-language newspapers, writing letters directly to the company, or calling the company directly to voice your complaint. Debito, if you are reading this, anyhing that you can lend to this effort would be much appreciated.

Thank you in advance, Steve Silver


EDITED RESPONSE

From: Arudou Debito <debito@debito.org>
Date: Sat May 28, 2005 8:18 pm
Subject: Suggestions for tackling the Gatsby ad

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, Steve. Here's what I suggest:

1) Suggest the person who feels the most indignant about this take this up as a
Community Project. We haven't discussed this amongst Community Coordinators
yet, but I for one will support it (and will sign your press release if you will
have me). But Steve should front it.

2) Suggest Steve write up a quick letter (of course in Japanese as well as in
English) raising the issue and asking for clarification from Gatsby, and send it
to Mandom Corp (via http://www.gatsby.jp/information/contact/index.html, or <mail@mandomworld.com>). Make this a public letter (I will forward it around),
with the relevant website and contact details for Mandom (particularly email contacts)
included, so that people who feel similarly inclined can also contact Mandom and express their
indignation...

In general, with things like these, where it's a matter of taste and opinion
whether or not this constitutes something offensive (remember that Japan is
rather insensitive towards issues like these, even republishing Little Black
Sambo with little reflection or sensitivity), I say raise the issue, give out
the details, and give the general public the choice to write in if they feel so
inclined in protest. No need to double-guess ourselves into inaction with
something that some people (myself included) might find problematic.

Anyway, go for it, Steve, I say. Debito in Sapporo


ENLIGHTENED FEEDBACK:

Date: Mon May 30, 2005 11:10 am
Subject: Re: [Community] Letter to Mandom Corporation

I forwarded the link to the commercial to a friend of mine in North
America who is a political activist, and black, to see what his
impression was, and he sent the following reply, which adds a whole new
angle to the concept of what is offensive about this commercial:

"I think it's very offensive to Rastafarians in particular, and
blacks in general. The dreadlocks, red, gold and green tam, etc. are
religious symbols, so it's a little like dressing a monkey up in a nun's
habit or as an orthodox Jew. Most like the latter, because, like
Rastafarianism, Judaism is associated with a particular race of people.
So, yes, I think it's both racist and mocks a religious minority in one go."

Since Rastafarianism has been largely co-opted by a youth subculture
that doesn't believe in it, sometimes it's easy to forget that it is
still a religion.

Any letter that goes to the makers of the commercial should
definitely address this angle of the issue.

PROTEST LETTER TO MANDOM CORP.
(This letter free for use to protest said Gatsby commercial, viewable at
http://www.gatsby.jp/cm_studio/gallery.html
Mail to:
http://www.gatsby.jp/information/contact/index.html
or mail@mandomworld.com
(Printer friendly version available in Word format at
http://www.debito.org/TheCommunity/mandomcomplaint.doc)

June 2, 2005

Mandom Corporation
Mr. Motonobu Nishimura, President
5-12, Juniken-cho, Chuo-Ku
Osaka 540-8530
Japan

RE: Concern over offensive television commercial

Dear Mr. Nishimura:

We would like to voice our deep concern regarding the content of a Gatsby CM currently airing on television, and request that Mandom Corporation cease broadcasting this advertisement immediately.

The CM in question is an advertisement for the product "Mogeha" (モゲハ) which features several Black men listening to reggae music while wiping their faces with the product. Sitting on the sofa with the actors is a chimpanzee who is imitating the same action of wiping its face as the Black actors.

I find this advertisement to be highly offensive, particularly the use of a chimpanzee mimicking the actions of the Black men portrayed in the commercial. Visually equating Black men as ﾒapesﾓ or ﾒmonkeysﾓ is a particularly egregious racial slur due to the fact that for hundreds of years, Black men have been referred to as apes in an effort to dehumanize and degrade them. Much of the anti-Black racist literature has claimed that Blacks are more akin to apes than to human beings, and the image of the ﾒBlack bruteﾓ has been used to associate Black men as dangerous ape-like savages.

Furthermore, dreadlocks in the colors of red, gold, and green are Rastafarian religious symbols. The dressing up of a chimpanzee in such garb would be akin to dressing it up as a Buddhist monk or a Shinto priest. It is highly offensive to members of a particular religious group, one that is particularly identified with Blacks of Caribbean origin, and should be avoided.

The use of a chimpanzee mimicking the behaviors of Blacks, in addition to its use of religious symbols as a costume, is, at the least, an extremely insensitive and tasteless attempt at humor. At the worst, it can be construed as a blatantly racist and degrading portrayal of Blacks. We request that Mandom Corporation terminate the broadcasting of this commercial immediately. Furthermore, we request that Mandom Corporation show greater sensitivity when portraying Blacks in future advertisements.

I look forward to receiving your prompt response on this matter.

Sincerely,
(your name, email address etc.)

(Signatories on version sent from The Community:
Steve Silver, Hirakata
Olaf Karthaus, Sapporo
Dave Gutteridge, Tokyo
Peter Prem, Tokyo
Arudou Debito, Sapporo)

Mail to:
http://www.gatsby.jp/information/contact/index.html
or mail@mandomworld.com

ANOTHER LETTER OF PROTEST FROM A CONCERNED PARTY

Date: Tue, 07 Jun 2005 06:29:11 -0000
Subject: [Community] Open letter to Mandom
Reply-To: communityinjapan@yahoogroups.com
From: Steve Silver

This has been passed on to me by a former colleague of mine now living in Africa. Her
letter does an excellent job of bringing the issue to a personal level, yet still making clear
that the issue is a global one at the same time. She has given me permission to post the
article and for Debito to post the article to the Community website.

Thank you,
Steve Silver

LETTER BEGINS
Dear Mandom Corporation:

Although I doubt that you meant to do harm in your "Gatsby" ad, the
photograph of the chimpanzee in Rastafarian clothing gives a message
that, because of world history, is a damaging one. I am married to an
east African man and we have had to struggle in both the USA and in
Japan against the stereotypes that people have about Africa and black
people.

When I explained that I was going to visit East Africa, both American
and Japanese people asked questions like, "Are there buildings there?"
"Do people wear clothes there?" "Wow, they drive cars?" and "Do you
worry about lions coming near your house?" I responded that, yes,
there are skyscrapers there, that people in Rwanda cover their bodies
more than people in Japan, that they drive cars but are hindered by
poor road quality and that lions are found only in national parks.

Yet a more hidden problem exists. Both Japanese and Americans make
assumptions about black people based on stereotypes seen on TV, in ads
and in our history of the way we treated blacks. In Japan, a person is
considered more beautiful if she is very fair. Darker people are
thought to have less intelligence and more criminal tendencies. As I'm
sure you know, none of these stereotypes have basis in research or
fact.

When you equate a Rastafarian (Jamaican / black) person with a
chimpanzee, it sends a message, even if unintended, that blacks and
chimpanzees are in the same category. Please try to imagine how that
might feel if you, like my husband, had four years of post-university
education. Or, to put it more bluntly, how would it feel to go to
Africa and see an ad on TV (and they have TV in Africa, too) with a
chimpanzee dressed in a kimono?

Stereotypes hurt all of us in a world where we are all experiencing
globalization. Please think seriously about the impact of this
advertisement.

Sincerely yours,
Robin Strickler
(resident for 8 years in Osaka, Japan)
LETTER ENDS

MANDOM CORP'S ANSWER (1), AND COMMENT
(original Japanese here)

MANDOM CORP RESPONDS TO AD FEATURING RASTA CHIMP
(Update One--freely forwardable--dated June 7, 2005)

Forwarding an email from Steve Silver <sgsilver@spamcop.net> re The Community's Mandom Project (http://www.debito.org/TheCommunity/mandomproject.html), where Mandom Corp responds to a complaint from an individual Japanese student. The student translates Mandom's letter as is. The original Japanese is available at the above website, along with links to screen captures of the problematic images.

Downloadable as PDF files via
http://www.debito.org/TheCommunity/MandomAd.pdf
http://www.debito.org/TheCommunity/MandomAd2.pdf

Quick comment from me follows the email.

E-MAIL BEGINS
////////////////////////////////////////////////
From: Mandom World <mail@mandomworld.com>
To: M.Y.
Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2005 13:32:26 +0900
[translated from Japanese by the student, forwarding as is]

Thank you very much for your concern about our commercial and the product.

The commercial you inquired for is about "face washing paper, MOGEHA", the concept is "we can clean our face anywhere". With this concept, we planned the commercial to inform the message to customers. To do so, we create the scene of Motoki (the Japanese man) and his friends using the product together. And we used reggae music because it is sympathized among young people who are the target of the product. And the atmosphere
in CM is the symbol of hotness.

Rhythm of reggae, time passing slowly, exchange of mysterious language among Motoki and his reggae friends, and also their cute pet Harry, the chimpanzee, these are all one scene in usual days. By describing this scene, we wanted to signalize the refreshing face washing paper, and tried to establish unique world view which Gatsby brand has.

If customers receive affinity from the CM, it will lead their trust for the product and our company. We are aiming to create CM which customers will be sympathized with. But we take the fact that we gave such impression by the CM seriously, and take what you have pointed out as valuable opinion. We will consider this when we create CM from now on.

Lastly, we wish all of your health and progress. Yours, Mandom Corporation
////////////////////////////////////////////////
EMAIL ENDS

QUICK COMMENT FROM ARUDOU DEBITO:

Well, that's a bit blithe. Sounds to me like Mandom Corp. is not taking this issue at all seriously, fobbing off the emails of complaint to an underling--perhaps the person who originally designed the advertisement (hand-drawn storyboards visible at the e-conte section of the Mandom site; click on the ad at http://www.gatsby.jp/cm_studio/gallery.html and after a separate window opens up).

The author above seems completely oblivious (not to mention a bit defensive) as to why anyone would criticize his or her hard-wrought project. Not even a "sorry if this advertisement caused any misunderstandings", which is standard Japanese operating practice when being politic with customers.

I've since passed on the Japanese version of the ad on to my Japanese mailing lists. One response already: ire at the flippant reply. Hopefully more people will now see the gulf in understanding and write something to Mandom directly.

You can too directly through
mail@mandomworld.com
Feel free.

On an aside, the Japanese republication of "Little Black Sambo" was at the top of bestseller lists, according to Japanese TV this Sunday. FYI.

Arudou Debito, Sapporo
June 7, 2005
http://www.debito.org/TheCommunity
Feedback about this issue to Steve Silver <sgsilver@spamcop.net>, thanks.
ENDS

MANDOM PULLS AD CAMPAIGN FOR "MOGEHA" TOWELETTES
ISSUES LETTER OF APOLOGY (dated June 9, 2005)
Translation by The Community
Japanese original here

Apology

We will stop showing the television commercial of Mogeha.

We decided to stop showing the Mogeha television commercial which we have been showing since March 28 because the commercial was inappropriate. We deeply regret this, and we apologize to those who had bad feelings from this commercial and all those related. In the future, we will try not to do the same thing. We will have strict checks from various points of view and creeds. We will make an effort to create advertisements that our customers will enjoy in the future.

Signed,

株式会社 マンダム
社長執行役員 西村 元延
MANDOM CORPORATION KK
NISHIMURA MOTONOBE, REPRESENTING THE CEO
http://www.mandom.co.jp/release/2005/src/050609.html

MANDOM'S HISTORY OF USING RACE TO PUSH PRODUCTS

From the book, "Occidentalism: Images of the West." (Oxford Univ Press 1995)
Pg 148: (Research courtesy Matthew Dioguardi of The Community)

============= BOOK QUOTE BEGINS =====================
Although prominent foreigners were used in Japanese advertisements
from much earlier on, the 1970 advertising campaign for Mandom (a
line of men's toiletries) featuring Charles Bronson is most
frequently credited with establishing this 'talents' trend which
still persists in Japanese commercials. While in Osaka in 1990, I
had the golden opportunity to interview the creative director who
developed the Mandom campaign. I believe that, as in the other
cases discussed here, it was not only more 'exotic' and 'exciting'
to have a foreigner for this promotion, but 'safer'. Bronson's
image, a clear depiction of sensuality and indulgent individualism,
was used to invert the established protocol for Japanese cosmetics
and toiletries advertising.

The Bronson commercials were an attempt to change the way men's
toiletries were presented while utilizing associations of the West
with progress, to promote a more modern, Western image for the then
fifth place company in men's toiletries. According to the ad's creator:

"Until then, when making men's cosmetics we always portrayed a
soft, gentle look and always used Japanese men. . . . When creating
the [new] name for the product 'Mandom' the desire was to combine
the idea of 'kingdom' or 'freedom' with the word MAN, creating the
Idea of a 'man's world'. Until then the idea of cosmetics for men
was to create a 'sweet smell'."

To go with the new image, a new bottle was designed to convey a
sense of strength. This was achieved by making a huge cap, larger
than the bottle. According to the creative director, '[t]he cap and
bottle made a big impression. It conveyed a sense of strength
rather than "sweetness".' To go along with this imagery, the ad
makers decided to present a 'kitanai Amerika no otoko'--'a dirty
American male'--in Mandom commercials, and featured Charles
Bronson, looking all sweaty in grimy clothing. The catch-phrase
used as a slogan for this promotional campaign was 'otoko no
taishuu' or 'a man's body odour'. Until that time, according to the
creative director, the word taishuu was considered a negative phrase
with a rather bad connotation, having all the appeal of the
analogous English 'body odour' or 'BO'. The idea of the advertising
campaign was 'to take this negative thing and turn it into a plus'.
In this instance, the use of Bronson as 'the dirty American male'
with a 'man's BO' successfully accomplished these goals. Utilizing
a foreigner made it easier to be this daring. Had the campaign
backfired it would have been easier to revert to more conventional
portrayals utilizing Japanese men than if a Japanese man had been
used to break with the existing conventional expectations.
============= BOOK QUOTE ENDS =====================

("Occidentalism: Images of the West." James G. Carrier - editor. Paperback: 284 pages Publisher: Oxford University Press (June 1, 1995) ISBN: 0198279795)

Hence Mandom got what it deserves--a hue and cry. As Community Member Matthew Dioguardi argued in his report on this advertising phenomenon, this time Mandom products weren't only strong enough to cleanse sweaty black people--it worked on animals like chimpanzees as well. Glad Mandom saw sense and stopped the ad. Thanks to Steve Silver and several others (like Japanese students at universities and other concerned parties) who took this issue up!

Mandom pulls the plug on racist TV commercial

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20050615a2.htm
The Japan Times: June 15, 2005

 Cosmetics maker Mandom Corp. announced Tuesday it has stopped airing a TV commercial that compares black people and monkeys.

In the commercial for men's blotting paper, several black people wipe sweat off their faces with the paper, while a chimpanzee beside them in an Afro wig and a multicolored outfit wipes his face in imitation.

A human rights group criticized it after it began airing March 28, saying it was comparing black people with monkeys.

After consulting with lawyers and advertising agency officials, the company stopped showing the commercial June 9 and has also stopped using a magazine advertisement, saying the campaign "lacked an international sense of ethics."

"We are very sorry. We apologize to viewers and other people who felt offended," said Motonobu Nishimura, a company executive.

The Japan Times: June 15, 2005
(C) All rights reserved

Japanese publisher defies Little Black Sambo protest

Justin McCurry in Tokyo
Wednesday June 15, 2005
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1506481,00.html#article_continue

Seventeen years after it was removed from bookshops for its racist content, the children's story Little Black Sambo has made a comeback in Japan.

The tale of Sambo, a boy who uses his wits to survive after being stalked by tigers, was a hit in Japan when it was first published here in 1953.

In 1988, Japanese booksellers agreed to remove it from their shelves after a US-led campaign against its racist language and imagery.

Last April, Zuiunsha, a small publisher in Tokyo, decided to reissue the book - under its Japanese title Chibikuro Sambo - reckoning that today's children would be as enchanted by the book as their parents were.

The gamble has paid off. About 100,000 copies of the 30-page book have been sold in the past two months and it has made it into the top five on the adult fiction bestsellers' lists at big bookshops in the capital.

The publisher brushed aside claims that it was cashing in on a work that many consider racist, with its depictions of Sambo - a derogatory word for black people - with bulging eyes and exaggerated lips.

In the late 1890s Helen Bannerman, a Scot, wrote Little Black Sambo for her children while they were living in India.

"Times have changed since the book was removed," Zuiunsha's president, Tomio Inoue, told the Guardian. "Black people are more prominent in politics and entertainment, so I don't think this book can be blamed for supporting racial stereotypes. We certainly had no intention of insulting black people.

"Sambo is a brave boy who gets his reward at the end of the story. He fights the tigers using his brain so that he won't get eaten. It's an exciting story and children love it. I hope people will see it the same way."

Few protests have been voiced in Japan, which has a very small black community, although an online campaign against the book attracted messages from a few people, mainly Americans. "We have replied to all of them in English explaining our position and have heard nothing back, so I think they understand," Mr Inoue said.

Meanwhile, the Japanese cosmetics maker Mandom said yesterday it had stopped showing a TV commercial after complaints that it was racist. In the advert, for face blotting paper, several black people wipe the sweat from their brows while a chimpanzee wearing an afro wig imitates them.

"We are very sorry and apologise to viewers and other people who felt offended," a company spokesman said.
ENDS

MANDOM PROJECT SITE ENGLISH VERSION ENDS
A Community Project

JAPANESE VERSION OF PROTEST LETTER TO MANDOM CORP
CONCERNING PROBLEMATIC GATSBY COMMERCIAL
（抗議文としてこのテキストは使用自由）
(available in Word format at
http://www.debito.org/TheCommunity/mandomcomplaint.doc)
CMはここでご覧になります：
http://www.gatsby.jp/cm_studio/gallery.html
送り先は:
http://www.gatsby.jp/information/contact/index.html
or mail@mandomworld.com

株式会社マンダム　様
不快なコマーシャルに関する見解
日本に住む、思慮深い市民より

2005年6月2日

最近テレビで放映されている貴社のギャッツビーのコマーシャルについて、私たちの考えを述べさせていただくとともに、コマーシャルの即座の放送中止を求めたく、この文章を書いている次第です。

当該のコマーシャルというのは、“モゲハ”という製品のもので、数名の黒人男性がレゲエ音楽を聴きながらその製品で顔を拭いている場面が描かれています。そして、出演者と一緒にいすに座っているのは、黒人男性がしている顔を拭くという行為を真似しているチンパンジーです。

http://www.debito.org/TheCommunity/30sec03.wmv (30-second version of the ad)
http://www.debito.org/TheCommunity/15sec03.wmv (15-second verion of the ad)

私たちはこのコマーシャルを、特にチンパンジーが、出演している黒人男性の行為を真似ているところが、とても不快なものであると感じています。視覚的に、黒人の人々を、類人猿または猿と同等と見なすのは、何百年にもわたって行われてきた甚だしい人種の恥辱であり、彼らを、猿と言及するということは、人間性を奪い、地位を下げる行為です。黒人差別主義者の文学では、黒人は、人間というよりも猿と同種であり、　その“黒い獣”のイメージは危険で猿のような野蛮人を連想させるのに使われてきました。

さらに、ドレッドヘアーと赤、金、緑という色は、ラスタファリ運動（ジャマイカでの黒人運動）の信仰者の宗教的象徴であります。チンパンジーにこのような格好をさせるというのは、置き換えてみれば、僧侶や神主の格好をさせているのと同じ事です。その行為は特定の宗教、とくにカリブの黒人たちに起源があるものを、信仰している人々にとって非常に不快であるので、避けるべきです。

黒人の行為を真似るチンパンジーを使用する事、それに加えて宗教的な象徴を衣装として使う事は、少なくとも非常に無神経で下品なユーモアの試みであります。最悪の場合、露骨な人種差別主義者で、黒人の品位を下げていると解釈される可能性もあります。私たちは、貴社が今すぐにこのコマーシャルの放送を中止する事を求めています。さらに、もし、今後また黒人をコマーシャルで描く事があれば、より深く考えていただくよう、要求いたします。

貴社からのすばやい返答を期待しています。

心より。


(Courtesy www.gatsby.jp, as of June 7, 2005)

Mail to:
http://www.gatsby.jp/information/contact/index.html
or mail@mandomworld.com


JAPANESE ANSWER FROM GATSBY, JUNE 6, 2005

Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2005 14:59:16 +0900
Subject: FW: お問い合わせについて
From: Steve Silver <sgsilver@spamcop.net>
To: Arudou Debito <debito@debito.org>

Hi Debito, This is a response from Mandom to a student who wrote a letter to the
company protesting the CM. 　She said it's fine to post on your web site... Thanks! Steve

------ Forwarded Message
From: Matsuo <....@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2005 14:50:27 +0900
To: <sgsilver@spamcop.net>
Subject: FW: お問い合わせについて

this is email which mandom sent to me.

===================================================
From: Mandom World <mail@mandomworld.com>
To: M....@hotmail.com
Subject: お問い合わせについて
Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2005 13:32:26 +0900

　松尾 様

　拝啓、ますますご清栄のこととお喜び申し上げます。
　平素より弊社の商品ならびに広告活動に対してご関心をお寄せ頂き誠にありがとうございます。

　今回お問い合わせ頂きましたテレビコマーシャル「ペーパー洗顔モゲハ」篇では、「どこでも手軽に顔をすっきりさせることができる」という商品特性を生活者の皆様にお伝えしようと企画致しました。その上で、『本木さんと仲間みんなが一緒に商品を使用するというシーンを前提』とし、ターゲットとする若者の間で共感性の高いレゲエ・テイストをCMの表現の中に取り入れ、その世界観を暑さの象徴として描きました。レゲエのリズムが刻まれ、ゆったりとした時間の流れの中で繰り広げられる本木さんとレゲエな仲間たちとの不思議な言葉のやりとり、また彼らのかわいいペットであるチンパンジーのハリー君を何気なく日常のワンシーンとして描くことで、ペーパー洗顔の爽快感を際立たせ、ギャツビーブランドが持つ独特の世界観を構築するよう心掛けました。
　
　広告で親近感をもっていただくことが、商品や企業の信頼感に繋がる力になります。

　弊社では消費者の方々の共感を大事にする広告活動を目指していますが、ご指摘のような印象があったことは率直に受けとめ貴重なご意見として今後の広告活動の参考にさせて頂きます。

　最後に皆様のご健勝とますますのご発展をお祈り申し上げます。

　敬具

-----------------------------------
株式会社マンダム
マーケティング部　宣伝課
E-Mail　mail@mandomworld.com
-----------------------------------

以上


神戸大学のグリアー先生と彼の学生からの抗議文に対してマンドム社はこうお返事しました：

To: <tim@kobe-u.ac.jp>
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2005 4:09 PM
Subject: お問い合わせについて

Tim Greer 様

拝啓　ますますご清栄のこととお喜び申し上げます。

　平素より弊社の商品ならびに広告活動に対してご関心をお寄せ頂き誠にありがとうございます。

　ご指摘いただきました点に関しまして、我々の認識が不足していたことを反省致しますとともに、不快な思いをさせてしまいましたことにつきまして心よりお詫び申し上げます。

　現在放映している「ペーパー洗顔モゲハ編」のCMにつきましては放映の中止を決定致しました。尚、テレビコマーシャル以外の広告物に関しましては出稿の中止及び改編の作業を早急に進めております。

　今回お問い合わせ頂きましたテレビコマーシャル「ペーパー洗顔モゲハ編」では、「どこでも手軽に顔をすっきりさせることができる」というペーパー洗顔が持つ商品特性を生活者の皆様にお伝えしようと企画・制作致しました。

　CMキャラクターである本木さんとその仲間、および彼らのペットであるチンパンジーのハリー君が皆で楽しく一緒に商品を使用するというシーンをモチーフにＣＭを制作致しました。

　また、表現のエッセンスとしてターゲットである若者の間で人気の高いレゲエ・テイストを取り入れ、共感性の高いＣＭを作るよう試みました。

　レゲエが流れるゆったりとした時間の中、本木さんと仲間たちとの不思議な言葉のやりとり、また彼らのかわいいペットであるハリー君を何気なく日常のワンシーンとして描くことで、ペーパー洗顔の爽快感を際立たせ、またギャツビーブランドが持つ独特の世界観を構築するよう心掛けました。

　しかしながら今回は我々の配慮不足により、不快な思いをさせてしまう結果に至ったことにつき、誠に遺憾であります。ご指摘頂きましたご意見を真摯に受け止め、我々の今後の広告活動にも参考にさせて頂く所存でおります。

　最後に皆様のご健勝とますますのご発展をお祈り申し上げます。

敬具

2005年6月10日
株式会社マンダム
広報IR室
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2005年6月9日

株式会社 マンダム
社長執行役員 西村 元延

お　詫　び

テレビコマーシャル「ペーパー洗顔モゲハ編」の放映を中止いたします。


弊社で本年３月２８日からオンエアしておりますテレビコマーシャル「ペーパー洗顔モゲハ編」の放映を中止することに致しました。

この処置は、同コマーシャルの内容に不適切な表現があったことによるものです。弊社として深く反省し、不快な思いをされた視聴者の方々及び関係者の方々に深くお詫びを申し上げます。

今後こうしたことの無いよう、様々な観点、視点から厳しいチェックを行うとともに、お客様の共感を何よりも大事にする広告活動を目指します。

http://www.mandom.co.jp/release/2005/src/050609.html

朝日新聞記事
マンダムのチンパンジーＣＭ、「黒人差別」指摘で中止

2005年06月14日09時21分
http://www.asahi.com/national/update/0614/TKY200506130682.html

　化粧品製造販売「マンダム」が、チンパンジーが黒人のまねをしているＣＭについて、「差別にあたる」との人権団体の指摘を受け、テレビ放映と雑誌広告を中止していたことがわかった。同社は「国際感覚が欠如しているという認識に至った」としている。

　問題になったのは、男性用洗顔製品のＣＭで、数人の黒人が顔の汗をふく横で、縮れたドレッドヘアで金と赤、緑の衣装を着たチンパンジーがまねをし、顔をふく内容。テレビＣＭは３月から放映していた。

　これに対し、人権擁護団体「コミュニティー」は、黒人を「類人猿と同等とみなしている」と指摘。また、チンパンジーの衣装についても、「ジャマイカの信仰者の宗教的象徴の姿で、僧侶や神主の格好をさせるのと同じこと。無神経で下品」と訴えた。

　マンダムには同じような抗議のメール６通と手紙１通が来ており、広告会社と検討した結果、テレビ放映と雑誌掲載の中止を決めた。

　マンダム広報ＩＲ室の牧博英課長は、「仲間とわいわいやっているところに、チンパンジーも入れたらいい雰囲気になると考えた。差別の意図はなかったが、国際的に見てタブーにあたると判断した」と説明する。

　「コミュニティー」のメンバーで大学講師の米国人スティーブ・シルバーさん（３２）＝大阪府枚方市＝は、「中止を決めたのはすばらしい。マイノリティーの意識にもっと繊細になるべきだ」と話している。

共同通信記事
黒人差別の指摘でＣＭ中止　化粧品のマンダム

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050614-00000050-kyodo-soci
　化粧品製造販売会社「マンダム」（大阪市）が、チンパンジーが黒人のまねをしているテレビコマーシャルに黒人差別を思わせる表現があったとして、放映を中止していたことが１４日、分かった。

　中止したのは男性用洗顔製品のテレビコマーシャル「ペーパー洗顔モゲハ編」。黒人数人が製品を使って顔の汗をふく姿を、縮れた髪形のかつらをかぶり赤や緑の衣装を着た黒人を連想させるチンパンジーが、隣でまねをして顔をふくという内容だった。

　３月２８日から放映していたが、人権擁護団体から「黒人を類人猿と同等にみなしている」などの指摘を受け、弁護士や広告代理店の担当者らを交えて検討。「国際的な倫理観が欠けていた」と判断し、６月９日から放映を中止。雑誌広告も止めた。

（共同通信） - 6月14日10時27分更新

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