New Soul Mate Lightening Crème Advert Incites Furious Reactions

Barely a month after 2012 winner of MBGN Tourism, Ify Umeokeke, who is also the fiancée of talented music producer-cum-director, Jude Okoye, was made the face of Soul Mate new ad campaign for their Lightening and Moisturizing Crèmes, the beauty and personal care brand has released its new television commercial.
The advert campaign features Ify, Hafeez ‘Saka’ Oyetoro and Ure Scott Kalu (a Nollywood actress and model) with Maria Okarende providing the voice-over. Okarende starred in the MTV series ‘Shuga Naija’ as Foye.

However, the commercial has received knocks from some Nigerians, who are angry with the campaign’s concept. They claimed that Soul Mate brand is trying to promote the usage of bleaching creams in order to feel spectacular, good and beautiful. Bleaching in Africa, Nigeria in particular, is kicked against as there is the popular saying that ‘black is beautiful’.

According to them, there is nothing wrong in being chocolate-skinned and questioned why Soul Mate would come to promote lightening products in African market and acts like black is not beautiful.

They pointed out a part where Saka, after being flanked by a chocolate skinned lady, suddenly lost his cool on sighting a fair-skinned lady who walked by and thereafter abandoned the first lady for the latter.

“Na so so bleaching cream dem dey shove down our throat these days. black is beautiful. yeye people,” one of the comments on the advert reads, while another said, “them no dey shame to advertise bleaching cream these days. Anyway it is what sells.”
“Ok naaa, very soon they will attack Dencia like she created bleaching cream!! Whereas, these ones have gone as far as creating an ad for it (tastefully done though, I have to say). Hmm!, one fans said, while another asked, “So the dark-skinned woman doesn't deserve to have the door held open for her? How silly?”

“Stupid ad,” one Nigerian simply said, with others saying, “Black is Beauty! I wonder how long it would take us Africans (and I mean Africans in general) to realize this,” “makes no sense at all,” “I’m speechless…. what is this ad biko? Sighhh! We need better ‘creatives’ in Nigeria,” “While I like the ingredients of the Cream, I HATE THIS COMMERCIAL!!!!!

“There’s absolutely NOTHING Wrong with being Chocolate skinned, how can you market a product to Africans and act like black is NOT beautiful!, “not to talk of the ridiculous amount of money they would have put into this equally ridiculous advert! Smh,” “I see soulmate is tapping into the bleaching cream market. This is a terrible advert, ethically and creative-wise, and the voice over is horrible too. Do the advert well or stick to radio adverts. Thank you.

“Call it whatever fancy name you like to sound touché!( lightening, brightening, fairing, toning) Bleaching is bleaching. The price you pay for it is so dear later in life when the inevitable aging process starts. Please bleach all you want to, this is only for those who want to reason!

“Wait! If I remember correctly, Soulmate is the hair cream I begged the hairdressers not to use on my hair! The one that has that local Nigerian smell! They make body cream too? Wonders shall never end!” “I wonder–was it Jude or Ify who rubbed this cream all over Cynthia Morgan’s incredibly curvaceous body?

“This is just like the ‘fair and lovely’ Indian commercials. The fact is that there is a market for these things. Our more successful men crave lighter women so u have to use lightening cream even though your facial features are the same! Mchew.”