H&M Apologizes For Modeling Black Child In “Coolest Monkey” Top

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Over the weekend, H&M was the latest company to be hit with a wave of backlash over their choice of advertising. A photo of a young black model, wearing the company’s “coolest monkey in the jungle” sweatshirt went viral.

The wordage coupled with the skin complexion of the model sent Twitter users into a frenzy, as many believed it was offensive and racist. As a result, the company was forced to remove the ad from its website and issue an apology for its offense.

“This image has now been removed from all H&M channels and we apologize to anyone this may have offended,” a spokesperson for the company said.
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According to CNN, the image was featured on the British version of the company’s online store. However, many users noticed that the little black boy was the only model to wear the “coolest monkey” sweatshirt, a white child wore a shirt that said “survival expert,” while another wore a sweatshirt with images of animals from the same line.
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“In the year 2018 there’s no way brand/art directors can be this negligent and lack awareness….we have to do better,” designer Alex Medina said on Twitter. He was one of many that expressed his displeasure with the advertising.
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What are your thoughts?