H&M Receives Backlash and Flak on Twitter for Selling a Hoodie With Racist Caption

H&M's racist advertisement received immense flak and backlash on Twitter due to which the company was forced to take down the ad from its website.

Marketers try their best to gauge their target audience’s reaction through clever words and attractive images of models, products or scenery but sometimes their decisions backfire. Fashion houses and garment manufacturers usually try to steer away from the crowd and try to bring out new lines and fashion garments which would not be similar to other retailers and manufacturers. However, in this bid, they sometimes go too far and this is exactly what happened with H&M that faced backlash and flak on Twitter for a seemingly racist advertisement featured on their website. H&M did not officially issue an apology but it did send out a tweet that said that it is removing the objectionable ad from its website. H&M had featured a black child wearing a hoodie with racist caption which enraged the Twitter users.

H&M was blamed as being racist for selling a hoodie which depicted a black male child wearing the hoodie with the objectionable slogan, “Coolest monkey in the jungle.” Many people took to Twitter to call out H&M for using casual racism, while others called it disrespectful. A similar white child is shown wearing a hoodie with the caption, “Survival Expert.” Twitterati tore apart the Swedish fashion giant’s advertisement. Check out some of the tweets below. Dove Apologises And Takes Down Racist Body Wash Ad Showing Black Woman Turning White

What the h***?

H&M got the first L of 2018? pic.twitter.com/FmuuNIMIWC

— IG: Mickey.Factz (@MickeyFactz) January 8, 2018

What were they thinking?

. @hm, have you lost your damned minds?!?!?! pic.twitter.com/EYuCXLZtv3

— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) January 8, 2018

It’s 2018, for god sake

It’s 2018 and all H&M can do is be racist!!! @hm you can do better. pic.twitter.com/It6xS4yRt0

— ★Ms.Kiyiekah♤ (@RawkinsLizzie) January 8, 2018

Cultural perspective shoud have been taken into account

No doubt the H&M monkey hoodie photoshoot was organised with completely innocent intentions but in today’s outrage society you have to triple check everything you do. They better pray they don’t get Tommy Hilfiger’d

— Austin (@AustinDarbo) January 8, 2018

Used to racism

I’m so used to racism that the H&M hoodie isn’t even on my radar. That’s so minor when you look at all the other shit we have to deal with

— 🎓Barr (@BarrBodes) January 8, 2018

Tone Deaf?

I think H & M is trolling us. There’s no way they’re THAT tone deaf….

— Tracie Thoms (@traciethoms) January 8, 2018

H&M issued a veiled apology

Hi there Lizzie. We’re sorry this has caused some offense. This was of course not intentional. We’re taking this image down from the website now so thanks for letting us know.

— H&M Customer Service (@hm_custserv) January 8, 2018

The reactions started pouring in on Sunday evening, and after the huge backlash received on Twitter the people at H&M have finally relented to taking down the image of the black boy with the objectionable hoodie slogan down from the website.