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Ad agency FCB severs ties with Nivea Skincare following “we don’t do gay” comment

When ad agency FCB showed their client Nivea Skincare an idea for an ad which featured two men touching hands, a senior executive of Beiersdorf, Nivea’s parent company, allegedly commented “we don’t do gay”, prompting the agency to terminated an agency/client relationship which stretches back for almost 100 years.

Tough choices

Carter Murray, FCB’s CEO, said “There comes a point in every longterm relationship when you reflect on what you’ve accomplished together and set your sails for where your journey will take you next. Sometimes that journey ahead demands tough choices that lead down different paths.”

A Beiersdorf spokesperson told Campaign Magazine (US), “We understand the emotions and news interest are intensified when longtime business relationships come to an end – however, we ask for understanding that we don’t comment on unsubstantiated speculations around this matter.

Committed to diversity

“Nonetheless we wish to express our concern on the reported allegations as they do not reflect the values of Beiersdorf, Nivea and our employees worldwide. No form of discrimination, direct and indirect, is or will be tolerated. We are strongly committed to diversity, mutual respect, equal opportunity and tolerance.”

Germany-based Beiersdorf are signatories to the “German Diversity Charter”, an initiative which  aims to ensure that diversity is recognised, valued and included in the German working culture – irrespective of gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, disability, age, or sexual orientation.

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