Njideka Akabogu
Yesterday, luxury fashion brand, Deola Sagoe released a video campaign for ‘Teintes de Bijoux’, the latest addition to their famous and highly coveted Komole range.
The campaign titled “KOMOLE: NIGERIA’S REGAL GIFT TO THE WORLD” is, as the title suggests, aimed at introducing the traditional Nigerian outfit to a more global audience, which might explain the choice of models for the video.
The brand tapped 3 white models, one Asian model and only one African model for the campaign – a move which has angered quite a number of Nigerian internet users.
A lot of people have described the ad as arrogant and questioned the rationale behind using white models to advertise an outfit traditional to Nigerians.
See some of the tweets below…
This is a little embarrassing. Why are nigerians like this lmao
Deola Sagoe Komole Iro and Buba Teintes DeBijoux 2018 https://t.co/vIX3bR7msp via @YouTube
— regina phalange (@trusssssmidaddy) April 4, 2018
Your audience/ target market is Nigerian women bc this is a traditional Nigerian outfit but SOMEHOW you have Caucasian women in your ad, girl wtf pic.twitter.com/VpAd1gW4vZ
— regina phalange (@trusssssmidaddy) April 4, 2018
The issue is not even that sis is trying to sell to the whites. I’m not Yoruba so I’m not going to be offended on you guy’s behalf about this gentrification.
— regina phalange (@trusssssmidaddy) April 4, 2018
But it’s extremely unfortunate that Nigerian women have been her market from time and now she’s trying to make bigger bucks than the already overpriced amount she charges, it’s white women in the commercial. It’s extremely insulting
— regina phalange (@trusssssmidaddy) April 4, 2018
Lmaoo but what is the rationale behind this ad ? Because I’m sure half these women can’t even pronounce komole nor will they be caught wearing it for any occasion. So whyyyyyy? https://t.co/ihmlfm0suq
— Subomi (@SubomiAj) April 4, 2018
You want iro and buba to be a global thing when these people abroad come to you and say “nice costumes” Lol last we checked it’s a trad attire for a culture ????????????
— amala looks like foot stone (@nnay_eeeee) April 4, 2018
Liked that new Deola Sagoe ad before watching the video. When I was done watching I immediately unliked it. What exactly is the point of using only white (and one mixed but extremely light) models to market traditional Nigerian wedding dresses? Smh
— Max (@maki_ogunbor) April 4, 2018
I get what (marketing angle) Deola Sagoe may be pushing with her ad. But using primarily white women wearing the ‘Komole’ design to promote it is kinda sour.
Western designers for a long time never used black models to make their designs appeal to us.
We wore them anyway. So????????— Tifé! (@Ifetoluwaa) April 4, 2018
deola sagoe is fucking weird. how do you showcase an african collection with barely any africans in it?? instead of using africans with different skin tones you went to get oyinbo & chinko? mad.
— bensonedokpayi???? (@bensonedo_) April 4, 2018
But there are also some people who see nothing wrong with the ad and have even described it as a smart business move since it’s targeted, not at Nigerians who are already all too familiar with the Komole design, but to a global market who would want to know what the design would look like on people of their skin tones.
See tweets below.
Just saw the controversial Deola Sagoe Komole ad and I’m wondering why y’all making a big deal about it. Its quite obvs that she’s marketing her brand not only to the whole world but to ALL RACES. So what y’all sayingggg??
— Nicole † (@TheNicoleElvina) April 5, 2018
In Deola Sagoe’s ad there is a Black girl, a Caucasian, a Mongoloid and Australoid what again do we want? You can’t attack her morals and request for white Models. The theme is “Nigeria to the world” not “For Nigerians”. It’s even a Yoruba theme song pic.twitter.com/PcfAQSS3fN
— Blessing Abeng (@Ms_Einsteinette) April 4, 2018
Y’all stay getting mad at the wrong things tbh. Nothing wrong with that Deola Sagoe ad.
— Fêlix (@itsDwayneB) April 4, 2018
I don’t see the problem with Deola Sagoe’s ad.
1. She said Africa to the world, meaning not necessarily for Nigerians because Nigerians can get it cheaper. It’s for people that buy African broom $500 as art. The scenery is even foreign.
2. It is based on consumer insight.— Blessing Abeng (@Ms_Einsteinette) April 4, 2018
Unpopular opinion, there is nothing wrong with the intention behind Deola Sagoe’s advert. Why do we get upset when ‘our’ brands try to cross over to other markets? This is about economics, not feelings.
— Damilola Oyedele (@DamiOyedele) April 4, 2018
And lastly…
Deola Sagoe kuku can’t be moved by all this outrage. You people are not her target market. Her target market is not you.
Her sales won’t drop one bit.
Have you eaten today?— The Ankara Dentist aka Mrs Lash aka Dr Williams (@rolayomide) April 4, 2018
Well done, yes, but WE raising the bar? What WE? Nigerians? I”m not sure why many Nigerians see individual Nigerian accomplishments abroad as a Nigerian achievement. We will raise the bar when Nigerians in Nigeria start to do big things that contribute to Nigeria itself, and I”m not talking about getting into top schools and graduating first class.