REALITY TV
TV
MOVIES
MUSIC
CELEBRITY
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use Accuracy & Fairness Corrections & Clarifications Ethics Code Your Ad Choices
© MEAWW All rights reserved
MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

The North Face becomes first big brand to pull ads from 'evil and racist' Facebook, Internet says thank you

Outdoor recreation product company The North Face became the first major company to join the #StopHateForProfit movement
PUBLISHED JUN 20, 2020
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

In the wake of nationwide protests over George Floyd's death and police brutality, there have been innumerous calls to boycott advertisements on Facebook. The initiative was started with the #StopHateForProfit campaign, jointly run by the NAACP, the ADL, Color of Change, Free Press, and Sleeping Giants. The website reads, "Let's send Facebook a powerful message: Your profits will never be worth promoting hate, bigotry, racism, antisemitism and violence." 

Outdoor recreation product company The North Face became the first major company to join the movement with a message on Twitter. "We're in," the tweet read. "We're out @Facebook #StopHateForProfit." They shared a tweet from NAACP that said, "'It is clear that Facebook and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, are no longer simply negligent, but in fact, complacent in the spread of misinformation, despite the irreversible damage to our democracy... - @DerrickNAACP." It soon went viral with over 13,000 retweets and 41,000 likes. 

"The North Face is halting all activity and US paid advertising with Facebook until stricter policies are put in place to stop racist, violent or hateful content and misinformation from circulating on the platform," the brand's official statement said. In a statement to CNN Business, Carolyn Everson, VP Global Business Group Facebook, said: "We deeply respect any brand's decision and remain focused on the important work of removing hate speech and providing critical voting information. Our conversations with marketers and civil rights organizations are about how, together, we can be a force for good."

In a statement to The Hill, they said, "Effective June 19th, The North Face is halting all activity and US paid advertising with Facebook until stricter policies are put in place to stop racist, violent or hateful content and misinformation from circulating on the platform." While it will put a stop to ads on Facebook and Instagram, the brand will reportedly continue to create organic content on Instagram. Soon, it was widely shared on Twitter with people lauding the move.

"Wow. The North Face says it's pulling ads from Facebook," one tweet read and another said, "North Face officially pulls their ads from Facebook for helping the MAGA campaign spread hate." Another user said, "Big step by @thenorthface to halt all Facebook advertising. The reality is, Facebook is no longer the 'fun, cool site where you can poke friends' It’s become a cesspool of misinformation and hate. I constantly ask myself who advertisers are trying to reach."

One user said, "Thanks for ditching evil and racist Facebook, it looks like a great time to buy some new jackets this weekend!" Another posted, "Let's order from The North Face. Demonstrate to other advertisers that we can vote with our dollars, even in a bad economy. #thenorthface."

Questioning when other brands will step in, a user posted, "@thenorthface didn’t say anything about @instagram which is just as bad, also @VFCorp other brands like @VANS_66 @eastpak @Dickies and many others & they haven’t said anything about those pulling spending! Hold off until @VFCorp does all brands all platforms @Nike should do the same." Another said, "A bold stance from the north face, hit them where it hurts more brands should follow."

POPULAR ON MEAWW
MORE ON MEAWW