An African-American-owned company selling feminine hygiene products has seen a big bump in sales following backlash from angry white people over a Black History Month ad.
The Honey Pot Company, a plant-based, black-owned feminine care brand that was founded by Beatrice Dixon, was flooded with racist reviews about a national ad where Dixon explains the company’s journey and the many difficulties she experienced at launch. The ad was part of Target’s Black History Month series “Founders We Believe In.”
“The reason why it’s so important for The Honey Pot to do well is so the next black girl that comes up with a great idea could have a better opportunity. That means a lot to me,” said Dixon during the 30-second spot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23kUpB79cQk
Since the ad, a review page for Honey Pot on the website Trustpilot was overwhelmed with negative reviews calling the company “racist,” Buzzfeed reports. “I can’t support a company in good faith that is openly racist about their customers,” said one review on Trustpilot, a customer review website.
However, Dixon told BuzzFeed News her company’s sales were up 40% to 50% higher than what they would be on a typical day.
Target is standing by the ad. “We’re aware of some negative comments about the campaign, which aren’t in line with the overwhelmingly positive feedback we’ve received from guests who love and have been inspired by Bea’s story,” Target said in a statement.
