After 100 years, Band-Aid is launching a line of racially diverse bandages, following other brands like Browndages (black-owned) and TruColor, who have made bandages for different skin tones for years.
Band-Aid is a highly visible bandage brand – when’s the last time you asked for an adhesive bandage? – and therefore the most accessible for non-white customers with cuts and scratches.
“We hear you. We see you. We’re listening to you,” wrote the brand in a recent Instagram post. “We are committed to launching a range of bandages in light, medium and deep shades of Brown and Black skin tones that embrace the beauty of diverse skin.” The company also said it will make a donation to Black Lives Matter.
As brands move to position themselves on the right side of history, hopefully, we see more companies following in Band-Aid’s footsteps to become more inclusive.
Many online were quick to call out the brand’s opportunism. In 2015, Band-Aid briefly debuted a line of racially diverse bandages before taking them off shelves because they didn’t sell well. Let’s see if it sticks this time.