Hair advert row a harsh reminder of apartheid era

Unilever, the global conglomerate that owns the TRESemmé beauty product label, has apologised for a controversial advert in South Africa that described black people’s hair as “damaged, dull… dry and frizzy”.

This comes, as we've been reporting, as several leading South African retailers have removed TRESemmé products from their shelves.

Unilever said: "We got it wrong."

Many who criticised the advert said it was particularly insensitive because of the historic issues around African hair in South Africa.

Under white-minority rule the so-called “pencil test” was used to denigrate black people.

This "test" was used to determine racial identity during apartheid, distinguishing white people from coloured people (mixed-race) and African, based on how smooth or coarse the hair was and how easily a pencil passed through it.

Years later, even with the introduction hair products for African hair, it is still perceived in an unflattering light in some parts of society – be that in some schools or the work place.

For many, the advert was a harsh reminder of that.