"In a video published this week, we missed the opportunity to represent women of colour, and we deeply regret the harm this has caused," the brand said in a message posted on social networks Facebook and Twitter.
The video in question, a three-second commercial for a liquid soap, showed a black woman taking off a T-shirt to let a white woman appear, who herself takes off her T-shirt and lets a third matte brown woman appear.

The ad, originally posted on Dove's Facebook page in the United States and since removed, has been widely picked up and denounced by Internet users around the world, most often in a photomontage showing only the first two women.

"Dove advertising is racist, irresponsible, insensitive, disconnected, unpleasant, and should receive the prize for rotten onion," so tweeted Monday @LebonaMoleli.
"You can do much better than'pass it up',' Black American filmmaker Ava DuVernay reacted on the social network, saying Dove's apology message'makes the affront worse'.
"To be black is to be dirty and unwanted," posted @Social_Heretic, calling for a boycott of Dove and Unilever products.
The keyword #BoycottDove has been widely used on the social network.

Already in 2013, a cosmetics brand of the giant Unilever had to apologize after the controversy created by a competition in Thailand around a skin lightening product.
In 2011, Dove was also charged with racism in another ad featuring three women, one black, one mestizo, one white. The black woman was positioned in front of a"Before" sign with dry skin, while the white woman was positioned in front of a"After" sign with moisturized skin. The Métis woman stood between the two paintings.
"Racist publicity makes you a suspect. Two racist ads make you guilty," @KeithBoykin reacted on Twitter.

On the Unilever website, Dove says he wants to"continue to use advertising campaigns as opportunities to redefine beauty, challenge stereotypes and celebrate what makes women unique.