China's "Black Person Toothpaste" brand

[Randy W]

and how it came to be owned by Colgate-Palmolive. From Goldthread

The origins of Colgate's Darlie "Black Person Toothpaste" explained

Christopher DeWolf
JUN 19, 2020

This is not the first time that Colgate has had to re-evaluate its Chinese toothpaste brand. Darlie's imagery has its roots in blackface.

A Darkie advertisement in China in 1948.

Across Asia, the smiling man in a top hat and bowtie is a recognizable face, gracing the box of toothpaste brand Darlie for over 30 years.

But Colgate-Palmolive said on Thursday that it would review the Chinese toothpaste brand, whose image has deep roots in blackface, as brands such as Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben's re-evaluate their associations with racist iconography


Darlie is one of Asia's best-selling toothpaste brands. In China, it is the top seller. Walk into any supermarket in Hong Kong, Bangkok, or Shanghai, and you'll spot the black-and-white logo displayed prominently on shelves.

Originally called Darkie, the toothpaste brand featured a man in blackface. The English name and image were changed in the 1980s in response to worldwide protest, but the Chinese name remains "Black Person Toothpaste.";

[Randy W]

Apparently, they're keeping the name Darlie, but changing the Chinese name from 黑人 Hēi rén （or black person) to 好来 Hǎo lái, which apparently means 'easily obtained', to be launched in March 2022.

It looks to me that the present labeling doesn't include the Chinese name.

超白 (chāo bái) on the new label means "Ultra White".

Darlie toothpaste was previously marketed as 黑人 “Hēirén” — which translates as “Black person” in English — alongside a photo mirroring an entertainer in blackface flashing a pearl-white smile on its packaging. The company’s local partner denied the name change had any relation to the toothpaste’s racially insensitive branding.

“I don’t understand — the original name indicates that users will have teeth as white as Black people, why would they feel discriminated against?” one Weibo user wrote.

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/3112222025763303

Colgate Bids Farewell to ‘Black Person’ Toothpaste in China
The company’s local partner denied the name change had any relation to the toothpaste’s racially insensitive branding.
 

Quote

 

Hawley & Hazel, the manufacturer of Darlie toothpaste and Colgate’s local partner in China, announced on Tuesday it would change the branding to haolai, in alignment with the company’s Chinese name. Darlie toothpaste was previously marketed as heiren — which translates as “Black person” in English — alongside a photo mirroring an entertainer in blackface flashing a pearl-white smile on its packaging.

Founded in Shanghai in 1933, the toothpaste company initially used the racial slur “Darkie” to market its product. It wasn’t until 1989 — four years after Colgate took ownership — that the company changed the toothpaste’s English name to Darlie, and replaced the original logo with the face of a racially ambiguous person.

 . . .

Products with the new brand name will be launched in March 2022, according to the company.

In 2020, Darlie was the second best-selling toothpaste brand in China after Yunnan Baiyao, according to market research firm Euromonitor International. It accounted for 17.2% of the market share, beating its parent company Colgate’s eponymous brand.

 . . .

“I don’t understand — the original name indicates that users will have teeth as white as Black people, why would they feel discriminated against?” one Weibo user wrote.

 

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

I see that the 黑人 “Hēirén” logo is still on their toothbrushes, but apparently not on the toothpaste.