Officials at the U.K.’s advertising watchdog have ruled that a commercial featuring Naomi Campbell’s name to promote a chocolate bar was not racist.
The catwalk beauty was upset by the promo for Cadbury’s Bliss, which shows the confectionery surrounded by diamonds with the slogan, “Move over Naomi, there’s a new diva in town.”
Campbell alleged the ad was racist, saying, “It’s upsetting to be described as chocolate, not just for me, but for all black women and black people. I do not find any humor in this. It is insulting and hurtful”, while her mother Valerie said the model was “deeply upset by this racist advert.”
Executives at Cadbury subsequently apologized for the promo and pulled the campaign, but chiefs at the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) launched an investigation after receiving four complaints.
They’ve now ruled the campaign did not breach its code on racism, according to Britain’s The Independent newspaper.
The watchdog states the promo was “likely to be understood to refer to Naomi Campbell’s reputation for ‘diva-style’ behavior rather than her race. On this basis the council decided that the ad was unlikely to be seen as racist or to cause serious or widespread offense.”
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