‘Apology not accepted’ – tweeps respond to Clicks’ apology

The apology issued by major retailer Clicks has been unilaterally rejected by social media users after Friday’s Twitter storm over what have been dubbed “racist images.”

The brand found itself in the firing line for adverts on its site that labelled black hair as “dry & damaged” and white hair as “normal” among other seemingly racially linked positive-negative connotations.

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Twitter users accused the retailer of racism, and the posts went viral, with Mzansi calling out the brand, and demanding action.

Since the adverts surfaced on Friday morning, Clicks issued an apology via social media and promised stricter website protocols.

The images have since been taken down.

In a statement sent out to the media on Friday, Clicks apologised unreservedly for images published on its website.

“We sincerely apologise for offending our customers and letting you down. We acted swiftly and immediately removed the offending images which were provided by a supplier as part of their marketing campaign. As a brand we recognise that we have a responsibility to use whatever influence we have to remove implicit and explicit prejudice from society, the workplace and our advertising,” said Rachel Wrigglesworth, Clicks Chief Commercial Officer.

“We recognise that we have a role to play in how we represent our diverse customer base in our own and supplier advertising and we sincerely apologise for failing you. We know that we need to do better and commit to making sure that our content reflects the diverse voices and experiences of our customers,” added Wrigglesworth.

Responding to a user calling for a boycott of the retail chain, Clicks wrote that the images “go against everything we believe in.”

This is not the first time the retail chain has come under fire. Back in 2017, Clicks ran a parenting promotion with a poster showing a white couple expecting a baby and single black woman holding an infant.

At the time, LWWhat asked: “Why are you perpetuating the ‘black women are single parents’ stereotype?”

Following the hair debacle, customers have issued Clicks with a range of demands.

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