Deola Sagoe under fire for using white models in her latest campaign

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.Nigerians are not finding the ad one bit funny.

See some of the tweets after the cut.......…

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

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