LONDON (UK) – Colgate-Palmolive on Thursday said it was reviewing its Chinese toothpaste brand, Darlie. This is the latest in a series of brand reassessments amid a US debate on racial inequality.
A popular Chinese brand, Darlie is owned by Colgate and its joint venture partner, Hawley & Hazel. Its cover features a smiling man in a top hat. It used to be called Darkie and featured a man in blackface.
Its Chinese name still translates to “black person toothpaste.”
The move comes as Corporate America reacts to weeks of protests over racial injustice and police brutality sparked by the death in May of George Floyd, a black man, in Minneapolis after a white police officer knelt on his neck.
“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 said.
This came after news on Wednesday that PepsiCo Inc was dropping its Aunt Jemima logo, prompting peers to initiate reviews of other food brands featuring African American characters, including Uncle Ben’s rice, Mrs. Butterworth’s syrup and Cream of Wheat.
According to Euromonitor International, Darlie controls 17% of the toothpaste market in China, 21% in Singapore, 28% in Malaysia and 45% in Taiwan.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field