Darlie

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Darlie toothpaste on sale at a Shanghai supermarket. PHOTOGRAPHER: ALY SONG/REUTERS

Darlie originally known as Darkie, is a toothpaste brand of the Hawley & Hazel Chemical Company founded in Shanghai in 1933 and later established in Taiwan (1949) and Hong Kong (1973). Colgate-Palmolive acquired 50% of Hawley & Hazel later in 1985.[1] Darlie emblazoned its packaging with a black-faced guy wearing a top hat and a toothy smile.

A vintage ad for Darlie toothpaste in Shanghai. PHOTOGRAPHER: IMRAN AHMED / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Racial Issue

HHawley and Hazel traded Darkie's toothpaste as the spoof of the American Minstrel singer, Al Jolson, who became known for his blackface appearances. The whiteness of his teeth influenced the name and logo of the company. Dark, or Dark, is a racial word used mainly in the Western world to refer to black people. The box depicted a portrait of a black-faced, wide-eyed white man sporting a top hat, monocle and bow-tie, an image associated with minstrel shows.

After being acquired by Colgate-Palmolive Co, a major scandal emerged over the brand in the United States, Colgate-Palmolive CEO Ruben Mark replied by making an apology and changing the English name of the toothpaste with "Darlie" in 1989, and by modifying the logo on the packaging to show racially ambiguous faces in the top hat to prevent racial confusion.

Although the English name on the toothpaste package was changed from Darkie to Darlie, but the soap retained its racially-charged name in Chinese. It is now named Hei Ren Yagao—"Black Person Toothpaste"—in China and is one of the nation's top sellers.[2]

Following the entry of Colgate-Palmolive, the brand continued to be sold in several Asian countries, including Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand, it's brand and logo were not considered offensive. Colgate-Palmolive revealed that the brand would not be sold outside Asia.

Rebranding

"For more than 35 years, we have been working together to evolve the brand, including substantial changes to the name, logo and packaging. We are currently working with our partner to review and further evolve all aspects of the brand, including the brand name," a Colgate spokesman told to BBC.[3]

Racial inequality is under the spotlight following the murder of George Floyd, an African-American, while being arrested by the police. This triggered riots around the world and brought new momentum to the Black Lives Matter movement. Corporate America has been compelled to address this problem.

References

  1. Darlie. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  2. In Asia, Brands Built on Racist Stereotypes Face Scrutiny, Bloomberg, 25 June 2020. Retrieved Deember 26, 2020.
  3. Colgate reviews China's Darlie brand amid race debate, BBC, 19 June 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020.