After drawing flak from netizens, the Belo Medical Group apologized Wednesday over what it called an “insensitive and upsetting” advertisement.
The Belo Medical Group said it has taken down its “Pandemic Effect” ad which showed a woman’s physical transformation at home during the lockdown.
The video begins with a woman sitting on the sofa while watching news. As she watches the negative and stress-inducing headlines, the woman’s under eyes become darker, she begins to have acne, and significantly gains weight, among other physical changes.
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“We apologize about our recent Pandemic Effect film. Thank you for being gracious in letting us know your thoughts about it,” the Belo Medical Group said in a statement.
“We hear you. You helped us see what we failed to see, which is that the film is insensitive and upsetting. Because of this, we have taken the ad down,” it added.
The group issued the apology after receiving heavy criticisms from netizens.
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Businesswoman Nina Ellaine Dizon-Cabrera said: “Let’s talk about what’s wrong with the Belo ad. It’s not the pandemic, Dra. It’s society’s beauty standards and the way capitalists ride on it to exploit our insecurities.”
“While some people are just trying to come out of this pandemic ‘beautiful’, a lot of us are just trying to survive it. Acne, facial and body hair, and weight gain, may all be part or results of our coping and we should not be shamed for that,” she said. (NM)
