The protest campaign initiated by ICCR and carried further by others definitely caused Colgate’s image to be tarnished badly in the eyes not only of African Americans but of all Americans. To get...

The protest campaign initiated by ICCR and carried further by others definitely caused Colgate’s image to be tarnished badly in the eyes not only of African Americans but of all Americans. To get action, some members of the Congressional Black Caucus (including Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich.) even bypassed Colgate and tried to negotiate directly with Hawley and Hazel. To try to repair the damage, two years after ICCR’s initial inquiry, Colgate, in cooperation with Hawley and Hazel, finally developed a plan to change the product. In a letter to ICCR, CEO Mark stated, “I and Colgate share your concern that the caricature of a minstrel in black-face on the package and the name ‘Darkie’ itself could be considered racially offensive.” Colgate and Hawley and Hazel then proposed some specific changes for the name and logo. Names considered included Darlie, Darbie, Hawley, and Dakkie. The logo options included a dark, nondescript silhouette and a well-dressed black man. The alliances decided to test-market the options among their Asian consumers; however, they refused to change the Chinese name (“Black Man Toothpaste”), which is more used by their customers.