Summer's Eve 'Hail To The V' Campaign: Racist Or Harmless? (VIDEOS, POLL)

From Summer's Eve -- the same feminine hygiene purveyors who once implied you haven't gotten a raise because you're not fresh down there -- comes a new slew of videos seemingly targeting specific demographics.

The new campaign comes in three, well, colors: one clip stars a black hand that exclaims, "Girl, I have seen how much time you spend stylin' your hair." Another features a white hand that wants to be "BFFs" and nags a lot. And a third hand erupts in phrases like "Ay, yay, yay," and breaks into some high-pitched Spanish when it gets angry.

Take a look and tell us what you think.

Quick Poll

Summer's Eve's ads:

OFFENSIVE! And totally racist.

HARMLESS! Nothing to see here.

Share your vote on Facebook so your friends can take this poll

WATCH the black version:

WATCH the Latina version:

WATCH the white version:

Comments

[kasieroxz749]

01:58 PM on 08/04/2011

they've all been taken down -__-

[Heliographic]

02:40 AM on 07/31/2011

It's not just racism that's an issue. It's sexism, plain and simple. I understand what they thought they were doing, but come on. How can you be that stupid?

The recent 'Hail to the V' commercials send a message that the only reason men like women is for sex. To be honest, maybe a lot of men are like that, but a lot of men are also NOT like that, and I seriously doubt most women actually WANT that message sent, the idea that that's all we're good for.

These commercials make me extremely angry, they are sexist to BOTH genders, and I sincerely hope at least some people agree with this opinion, because otherwise I wonder how many others are perpetuating this disgusting idea.

[Coromanti]

11:15 AM on 07/30/2011

Truthfully, in stereotypes there are some truths. Are there black and latina women that personify this broad generalization? Yes.

The issue: the generalization represents a percentage of these cultures and is usually manifested due to an economic class. Meaning, lower income blacks and latinas MAY personify these stereotypes. There are no absolutes (except death).

Every black woman does not roll her neck, snap her fingers and destroy the English language. Every latina woman is not having busloads of babies.

The issue with marketing: they ALWAYS present the negative, hurtful painful stereotypes. However when it deals with white woman—they never seem to have issues with aggresiveness, babies, the English Language. Sadly, the true reason why the English language is spoken this way by low income blacks—and the true history of literacy, language acquisition –what blacks were allowed and not allowed to do–whites should be humiliated for punishing blacks for a problem they created. The laws prohibiting blacks to read, make eye contact–catastrophic. It simply is not funny to profit from this painful history.

Clearly this ad agency should expand its hiring pool or at the very least test the commercials with individuals outside of their office. Maybe next time ask random black and latina women you know corporate –ask teachers, engineers, doctors, lawyers. We exist you know.

I like Summer’s Eve and have used it for years. I was embarrassed for their ignorance.

Their inability to recognize the problem with the ads speaks volumes.

[Peter Podgursky]

10:33 AM on 07/30/2011

Asian woman version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlMvN9vbQco

[thewholestory]

07:13 PM on 07/28/2011

Talking vagina's, hmm.

[Chris Jones 1]

10:01 PM on 07/23/2011

I suppose the hands should all come out and talk like white folks do, is that it? Because that wouldn't be racist at all. Over the top with the accent to get the point across that it's a Latina hand? Yeah, a little. A little too much on the "jive" with the black hand? Maybe. But there were also stupid stereotypical white traits on the "white" ad too. Get over yourselves folks. It's a frigging commercial. I'll bet those screaming racism are white folks that don't know WTF they're talking about.

[buckbuck11]

09:56 AM on 07/23/2011

Sr. Wences, I'd like you to meet.....

[candlesmp]

11:32 AM on 07/22/2011

not racist or offensive...Just downright tasteless and stupid.

[prdamericanmom]

07:03 PM on 07/21/2011

Um, they were just plain creepy and weird. Ewwww.

[Heidi Hoerman]

04:50 PM on 07/21/2011

If we did not still favor (economically, socially, politically, etc.) one ethnic or racial group over another, this question would not matter. Since we do, the subtext of stereotype as put-down rather than archtype as endearing example persists. Would that we could move forward and cease to reinforce old habits of racism and discrimination.

As to these ads? As one who is old enough to have had to ask at the pharmacy counter for the boxes of sanitary napkins which were wrapped in plain brown paper so as not to offend anyone in the parking lot, we've come a long way baby but this still crosses the "ee-ew" threshhold.

[26snr]

04:21 PM on 07/21/2011

lol as a girl i find this halariously stupid!!! as if my vagina is talking to me all day!! hahaha

[PoliticalRockChick]

02:02 PM on 07/21/2011

The illustrations are nice, but the voiceovers, are stupid.

[Atomkinder]

01:46 PM on 07/21/2011

Mildly offensive, mostly just weird. I don't think it's a very good ad campaign, but neither of those votes expresses how I feel.

[rachydee]

11:36 AM on 07/21/2011

How about a vgina dentata version?

[collettethehedgehog]

07:22 AM on 07/22/2011

HA! How about a Vampira version? Pam's for example!

[Stan Modjesky]

01:34 PM on 07/24/2011

OMG, what a fabulous idea. They could then push dental hygiene products in the same 30 second spot.

[edgraham]

09:34 AM on 07/21/2011

Shame on me, I just watched three commercials for no reason. By the way, they suck. Can't wait for the Jewish, Asian, and gay versions.

[Atomkinder]

01:43 PM on 07/21/2011

"What am I, chopped livah down here?"