Just over a week after Bell Media announced her sudden layoff – and her gray hair was rumored to have been questioned – CTV presenter Lisa Films had another ally. Dove Canada just launched a new campaign using the hot hashtag #keepthegray.
• Read also: Celine Gallebo ‘Shocked’ At Lisa Laflame’s Sack
• Read also: Lisa LaFlamme leaving: Bell Media opens investigation
• Read also: Lisa Laflame: Her gray hair raised questions from a CTV executive
Dove Canada caught the ball. In a video posted on Twitter, the company invites people to use the hashtag #keepthegray and, above all, to change their profile picture with a gray filter.
“Gray-haired women have been expelled from their workplaces,” the video reads. So Dove turns gray. Together, we can support women to age beautifully on their own terms. »
The company also announced a $100,000 donation to the Catalyst Foundation, a Canadian organization that helps create inclusive workplaces for all women.
The Dove Canada video has been viewed 669,200 times and has been liked by nearly 10,000 people. Among the personalities who reacted favorably to the post, Justin Trudeau’s former secretary, Gerald Potts, noted when he tweeted “Good thing for Dove Canada and Catalyst.”
Many citizens also posted selfies in which they proudly show their gray hair.
While the majority of comments seem positive, some netizens were surprised to see a picture of a young brown-haired woman with a gray filter installed in the promotional video. Some have asked, “Why not choose a middle-aged woman with real gray hair?”
Others have pointed out that to truly show her support for Lisa LaFlamme, Dove will have to pull her ads from all Bell Media-owned channels.
A look back at the LaFlamme saga
A 35-year veteran of CTV News and Bell Media, star presenter Lisa Laflame was suddenly fired two years before her contract expired.
She announced the news to her followers by posting a video on Twitter on August 15. The video has been viewed 4.5 million times and sparked thousands of messages of support and anger. Allegations of ageism and sexism as well as double standards have been raised (while Laflamme’s gray hair issue has reportedly been addressed by CTV News president Michael Melling).
In the face of protests from viewers in English Canada, Bell Media has announced that it will conduct an “independent assessment” of the climate surrounding the dismissal of Lisa Laflame.
Unilever Canada, which represents Dove, and Bell Media, owner of CTV News, did not respond to our interview requests.
