Janssen Pharmaceuticals Responds to the Rebels About Offensive “Smelly Mexican” Ad

Sep 8, 2012
9:02 PM

Early in August, we reported a story about how an Indonesian ad agency published the following ad campaign for Daktarin Foot Powder. Depicting a sleeping barefoot Mexican in a saloon while others are covering their faces with bandanas and fans. A few days after we published the image (which we received from @RayoSaucedo), the ad agency, Fortune Indonesia, sent us some DMs apologizing about the ad. When we sent Fortune Indonesia some follow-up questions, we did not get a response, so we contacted Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Daktarin's manufacturer. (Janssen is part of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies.)

After connecting with Janssen on August 6, we received the following response from the company yesterday:

Thank you for bringing to our attention the advertisement produced by Fortune Indonesia. While our product was used in the advertisement, Janssen did not commission the advertisement, nor were we contacted by Fortune Indonesia regarding its production or publication. As the advertisement does not reflect the values and culture of Janssen and its employees, our Janssen Indonesia office contacted Fortune Indonesia and requested its removal. As a result of our request, we understand that Fortune Indonesia will be removing the advertisement immediately, if it has not already done so.

Again, thank you and we appreciate Latino Rebels for contacting us.

Sincerely,

Chris Costigan

Regional Director, Communications & Public Affairs (AP)

Janssen Pharmaceuticals

w:   http://www.janssenpharmaceuticalsinc.com/