Makeup brand backlashed for naming a liquid blush after the Holocaust victim Anne Frank
‘Dream Like Anne’, a makeup brand has received a backlash for naming a liquid blush after the Jewish diarist and Holocaust victim Anne Frank.
The Hong Kong company Woke Up Like This (WULT) has launched its “Face Dab” collection of liquid blushes to promote female empowerment during “Sexual Health Awareness Month”, named after “inspiring, famous women.”
The different blushes were introduced as “In Woolf’s Words” after 20th-century writer Virginia Woolf, “Lift Like Melinda” after philanthropist Melinda Gates, “Viva La Frida” after Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, and “Dream Like Anne” after Holocaust victim Anne Frank.
However, the product named after Anne Frank met with harsh criticism online:
Naming a shade of blush after Anne Frank, who was a victim of genocide is revolting.
Dead Jews are not a marketing opportunity. @timeouthk, shame on you for not noticing and for promoting this disrespect. pic.twitter.com/bbPcjiLcc1— Ben M. Freeman (@BenMFreeman) September 16, 2020
https://twitter.com/LizDavidson06/status/1306316794400043008
WTAF!? I am just STAGGERED that at no point in the creative process did anyone on the Woke Up Like This team, or ANY of the other hundreds of people involved say "ummm guys, this might not be appropriate"
— Claire Coleman ✍🏽 (@featuresjourno) September 16, 2020
As being reported, after facing backlash, WULT has removed the “Dream Like Anne” blush from its website while others are still available.
After meeting with the criticism, The company has issued an apology, stating that the product “Dream Like Anne” was meant to pay tribute to Anne Frank and her legacy.
“The miracle of her legacy, ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’, is that even in the face of extreme hardship, isolation, and ultimate tragedy, her seminal expression of hope for the future continues to inspire generations,” the statement added.
“We are extremely sorry that paying tribute to her in this way appears to have caused offense and is considered disrespectful. Our intention was quite the reverse, to bring positive energy and shite a little light through unprecedented testing times during the global pandemic,” says the statement.
