Naomi Campbell has sparked a race row after threatening to sue Cadbury over an advertising campaign for their new chocolate.
The 41-year-old supermodel is said to be considering "every option available" after the food company launched "insulting and hurtful" commercials for their new 'Bliss' bar, which contain the tagline: "Move over Naomi, there's a new diva
in town". According to The Independent, Campbell argued that Cadbury had specifically selected her to promote their chocolate in order to play on the racial connotations presented.
She stated: "I am shocked. It's upsetting to be described as chocolate, not just for me, but for all black women and black people. I do not find any humour in this. It is insulting and hurtful."
Campaign group Operation Black Vote has already given its backing to Campbell and urged for a boycott of Cadbury products.
Simon Wooley of the OBV said: "[The] only recourse black people have is not to buy its chocolate... Racism in the playground starts with black children being called 'chocolate bar'.
"At best, this is insensitive, and at worst it demonstrates Cadbury's utter disregard for causing offence. Its lack of apology just adds insult to injury. The Eurocentric joke is not funny to black people."
In response, a spokesperson for Cadbury insisted: "[The advert is] a light-hearted take on the social pretensions of Cadbury Dairy Milk Bliss... We would never produce any type of marketing we felt might cause any offence to any section of society."
They added: "[The advert is] no longer in circulation... We have no plans to repeat the campaign."
Campbell recently urged the fashion industry to incorporate more black models into their campaigns.
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