How did the advertisement come to be, why didn’t someone notice its questionable content and message, did Unilever effectively repair its reputation, and what communications lessons were learned?

Communication Theory

In retrospect, the reaction of the public to a 2017 Dove Soap advertisement and Unilever’s apology as told in Humphries-Kil’s (2019) case are both expected and shocking. First, provide a detailed overview of the case. Then, using a communications theory lens, dissect the case. How did the advertisement come to be, why didn’t someone notice its questionable content and message, did Unilever effectively repair its reputation, and what communications lessons were learned?

Reference
Humphries-Kil, M. (2019). Unilever and leadership: Gender, race, and classification in corporate globalisation (Links to an external site.). SAGE Business Cases. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526469311