Nivea has pulled an advertisement with the tagline "white is purity" after it was the subject of a foreseeable backlash, and (because it is 2017) subsequently became a favourite of alt-right social media users.
The skincare brand shared the advertisement, for its "invisible" antiperspirant, to its Facebook page on Friday.
It showed a photograph of a woman with dark hair sitting in a white robe, taken from behind.
"Keep it clean, keep it bright. Don't let anything ruin it," the advertisement read, above the tagline: "white is purity".
The brand has since alleged it was only intended to be posted to its "Nivea Middle East" page.
"The recent post regarding Black & White Invisible Deodorant originated from the NIVEA Middle East Facebook page," the brand commented on the Facebook post of a concerned US Facebook user.
"The NIVEA Middle East advertisement was not meant to be racially insensitive. We sincerely apologise. The post has been removed.
"Diversity, tolerance and equal opportunity are fundamental values of NIVEA."
Nivea's Facebook page uses a geoblocker to redirect users to their country's specific brand channel.
The brand has over 19 million Facebook followers globally.
The advertisement was removed the same day, after a number of social media users pointed out the problems with describing whiteness as "pure".
What is NIVEA trying to do exactly? pic.twitter.com/vKSQLxARoW
— idk her (@MONETSTCROlX) April 3, 2017
Although it is no longer on the Nivea page, the advertisement was screenshotted and republished by a number of social media users who identify politically as members of the conservative "alt-right".
Nivea has chosen our side and the most liked comments are glorious. pic.twitter.com/BJ7pr6feEc
— JuliusSeg 🇳🇱 (@JuliusSeg) April 3, 2017
#Nivea: the official moisturizer/anti-perspirant of the #AltRight pic.twitter.com/7Gz8PI3Ft4
— Cecilia Davenport (@CWDaven) April 3, 2017