Naomi Campbell vs. Cadbury

Model Naomi Campbell says she’s considering legal action in response to an ad that compares her to a Dairy Milk Bliss bar. Dave M. Benett/Getty Images A new ad for Cadbury chocolate is leaving a bitter taste with Naomi Campbell. {snip}

The ad reads, “Move over Naomi, there’s a new diva in town,” and shows the candy bar nestled in diamonds. {snip}

Campbell told the U.K. newspaper the Independent, “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 humor in this. It is insulting and hurtful.”

The star {snip} being backed by the British organization Operation Black Vote. The group called on the U.S. company Kraft, which owns Cadbury, to apologize and is considering a boycott of the company’s products. Worse, Naomi’s mom is mad.

Valerie Morris told the Independent, “I’m deeply upset by this racist advert. Do these people think they can insult black people and we just take it? This is the 21st century, not the 1950s. Shame on Cadbury.”

Cadbury said in a statement that it had pulled the billboards with no plans to repeat the ad, {snip}”

Ella Alexander, Vogue, May 31, 2011

{snip}

{snip} Krafts Foods, the company that owns Cadbury, has removed the poster and has no plans to repeat it.

“It was certainly never our intention to cause any offence and the campaign itself is a light-hearted take on the social pretensions of Cadbury Dairy Milk Bliss,” a statement from Krafts Food said. “Cadbury takes its responsibility very seriously indeed and we would never produce any marketing activity we felt might cause offence to any section of society.”