Cadbury Apologizes To Naomi Campbell, Supermodel Says It's A Shame It Took So Long

Cadbury has apologized to supermodel Naomi Campbell for using her name in an ad to promote its new Bliss chocolate bar, the Guardian reports.

The advertisement read, "Move over Naomi, there's a new diva in town," with an image of the candy posed on a mound of diamonds. Earlier this week, Campbell said, "I am shocked. It's upsetting to be described as chocolate, not just for me, but for all black women and black people. I do not find any humor in this. It is insulting and hurtful." Her mother, Valerie Morris called the entire thing racist.

Cadbury posted the following statement on its website on Friday:

Cadbury understands that our latest advertising campaign for Cadbury Dairy Milk Bliss caused upset to Naomi Campbell and her family. Cadbury takes its responsibility to consumers very seriously indeed and we would never deliberately produce any marketing material we felt might cause offence to any section of society. It was not our intention that this campaign should offend Naomi, her family or anybody else and we are sincerely sorry that it has done so.

We can confirm that the advertisement is no longer in circulation and we will not be using it in future marketing for Cadbury Dairy Milk Bliss.

We have been in discussions with Naomi's solicitors and can confirm that they have accepted our apology on her behalf as a conclusion to this issue.

According to the Guardian, Campbell was pleased that Cadbury asked for forgiveness. But, she added, "It is also a shame that it took so long for Cadbury to offer this apology. I hope they and other multinationals can learn from this; that offence may not be their intention, but when it is shown that it has caused offence a sincere apology straight away goes a long a way. Better still they should avoid causing offense in the first place which is best achieved by having greater diversity at board and senior management level."

Read more at Guardian.co.uk.

The ad:

Comments

[happyjoyjoy333]

06:45 PM on 07/08/2011

Oh Please! Naomi is offened to be compared to chocolate? I've heard people, black, white, and even latinos refer to themselves as "chocolate­" "vanilla" & "caramel"! It's harmless for Pete's sake. The only time I took offense was after Hurrricane Katrina, when mayor nagin (small letters for a small man) said it was OK with him that Mexican people poured into New Orleans to work to rebuild HIS city, but after their work was done HE wanted them to leave so HE could have HIS "Chocolate City" back!! No one said anything about his racist comment. mayor nagin said HE ALLOWED the Mexicans to do all the restoratio­n work but said he was afraid if they stayed they would change the character of new Orleans because they were latinos. Racism is alive and comes in all colors, even black. Lighten up Naomi & polish what few brain cells you have left & think before you react. Your attitude has always been bitter, so you don't make a good example of SWEET chocolate anyway.

[becut]

05:31 PM on 06/07/2011

Insensitivity to the need for respect for how someone views themselves is racist. Naomi has worked for many years.............long and hard. She did not appreciate being referred to or compared to a chocolate diva candy bar

Let's run an add comparing a certain famous white woman to sticky white "glue", due to her clinging behavior? Let's make tons of money for the glue company by making this comparison.

[tastles2001]

02:35 PM on 06/07/2011

I have always refer to myself as brown sugar,b chocolate and love being refer to as such,as for this campbell woman,I have no idea what she is talking about.......just an ignorant little person.

[FireInMyBelly]

10:51 AM on 06/07/2011

Naomi, I think they were actually trying to pay you a compliment. Besides, Cadbury chocolate is yummy!

[cyoohoos]

08:33 PM on 06/06/2011

I will admit that I didn't read this before they apologized, but I'm having a hard time finding that advertisement to be racist. I'd be more upset that they were calling me a diva.

[mso999]

05:18 PM on 06/06/2011

What a load bull if she had been payed for the ad she would have loved it, and her family would have . Now it should have been a cell phone ad, LOL.

[cvbnm67]

02:44 PM on 06/06/2011

What a setup. Cadbury and Naomi conspire to give both their candy and her career a media boost. They put out an ad with Naomi's name. She claims the ad is racist, both get world exposure. Cadbury apologizes to Naomi, both get world exposure. Naomi responds to Cadbury's apology, both get worlds exposure. Meanwhile, the picture of Cadbury's candy is posted on ever news site in the world, and Naomi gets her image in places it was not before. Brilliant and imoral all a once.

[wrascil]

02:09 PM on 06/06/2011

was that not the BLACK mayor of New Orleans on the nation wide news jivin how he was goin to make the city chocolate again after hurricane Katrina? the only reason I see for insult is that Cadbury didn't pay her 10 million to hold that up and take a bite while being photographed.
I think its a few years late to play the race card on that one

[MORAL SOLUTION]

01:54 PM on 06/06/2011

What happened to brown pride?

[this and that]

01:38 PM on 06/06/2011

When I read it I thought about her Diva actions from the past never came to mind comparing her skin color to chocolate so I guess it is still a touchy or senstive issue among blacks because it never entered my mind..at lease she was compare to diamonds!!

Fogot about the Blood diamonds~~ I guess dhe did not want to go back to that issue!

[Ken Koziol]

01:23 PM on 06/06/2011

I did not know Naomi was a candy bar.

[Rae Turner]

01:21 PM on 06/06/2011

they wouldn't have any ammuntion to use if she were in the headlines with her bad behavior.
And it was not insulting to ALL black people , it only named her. Not ALL black people act like a train wreck.

[dayoldspecial]

01:12 PM on 06/06/2011

She is yesterdays news! Thanks to C she even got mentioned and by the way is she the only Niomi in the world/ I did not see any last name ...Big fat lOOOOOOOSER ! YUK SO DONE WITH RACE CARD ISSUES! FROM NO CLASS TWITS THROWING PHONES BEER BOTTLES ECT

[tshnh]

01:06 PM on 06/06/2011

big mistake, they were getting so much press from this hissy fit by Ms Diva that now it will go away, who cares what she thinks it's chocolate, not world peace

[George D Smith]

12:59 PM on 06/06/2011

Gee I guess someone should explain this to ex New Orleans mayor Nagin.