Brands Attempt To Show Support For The Movement Surrounding The Death Of George Floyd

As protests spread across the U.S. and parts of the world over the weekend following the death of George Floyd on May 25th, numerous brands have joined in the movement by posting messages, altering logos or promising changes to various policies. While some of these attempts have been well-received online, many of them have been criticized and labeled as empty platitudes.

On May 29th, YouTube took to their Twitter account to voice their support for the movement and stated, “We stand in solidarity against racism and violence,” as well as pledging to donate $1 million “in support of efforts to address social injustice.”

Despite YouTube’s efforts, many were quick to bash the company for its previous handlings of similar issues and its donation, with several pointing out that the figure was minuscule compared to YouTube’s total revenue. The Twitter account for Sleeping Giants replied to their post calling YouTube hypocritical, adding, “Too little, too late.” Some supported the attempt, such as Twitter user ItsAmmon, who said, “Why are people even upset about this? They as a company are trying to do a good deed so please grateful they are trying to help in such a significant way.”

On May 30th, Nike uploaded a video replacing its iconic motto with “Don’t Do It” to their Instagram account with the message, “For once, Don't Do It. Don't pretend there's not a problem in America. Don't turn your back on racism. Don't accept innocent lives being taken from us. Don't make any more excuses. Don't think this doesn't affect you. Don't sit back and be silent. Don't think you can't be part of the change. Let's all be part of the change.”

After receiving over 5 million likes on the post, others took to social media to criticize Nike, such as Twitter user Cindy Gallop, who pointed out the company's lack of diversity among its ranks in a post later that day.

Others were more supportive of these efforts. After Adidas shared the message from Nike, Twitter user Darren Rovell commented on unity between the two competing companies and said, “Imagine what it takes for a company to retweet its greatest competitor,” while Twitter user ProfJeffJarviss mocked them in a tweet of their own shortly after.

Netflix’s tweet that same day included the message, “To be silent is to be complicit.
Black lives matter,” which erupted into a debate in the replies below. Twitter user davidpetris_ replied with, “All lives matter,” while whoaamindinawe uploaded a comic in an attempt to defend the statement and the movement itself.

Bratz uploaded an image to their Instagram page on May 30th with a lengthy message in support of the movement, receiving over 150,000 likes and a large number of users voicing their support for the brand's statement, who also included a link to the Change.org petition in their bio. Twitter user frankenfemme_ shared Bratz's post later in the day, praising the message in a tweet that racked up nearly half a million likes and over 100,000 retweets.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted a statement to his profile on June 1st, stating, “We stand with the Black community -- and all those working towards justice in honor of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and far too many others whose names will not be forgotten.” In the post, he said that the company would be pledging $10 million to groups working on racial justice, but that “I know that $10 million can't fix this. It needs sustained, long term effort.”

Comments below were a mix of supporters and detractors, with Facebook user Andrea Del Pilar commenting, “Well said!!! We all are not different from one another, we all are the same human beings and deserve the same respect! This is terribly sad.” Numerous other users were not so keen on the message from Zuckerberg, like James F. Hartman who said, “You are the problem. Your willingness to allow your platform to be the medium of international interference in our elections and willingness to take dirty money from political activists who seek to destroy the Country you proclaim to love. Actions speak louder than words.”

PlayStation also took to social media to denounce racism and violence on Monday, posting an image with its statement including “#BlackLivesMatter.” Here, some applauded the brand’s efforts, while others voiced opposition to the post, such as Twitter user mexguyreducks, who said, “Just give me games and shut it with the politics.” A few hours later, PlayStation announced that its planned reveal of the upcoming PS5 would be postponed, stating, “… we do not feel that right now is a time for celebration …”

Additional companies and brands continued to post on social media throughout the day with messages and images of support for the movement. But as seen during the coronavirus pandemic, where companies similarly altered logos or released statements attempting to relate to their customers or spread awareness, many online viewed these attempts as brands merely trying to capitalize on the situation or not taking significant action.

As with many of these events, there were also several users who simply made light of the posts from different companies, through both memes and parodies. Twitter user anneliesejane posted one such meme as a reply to Disney's statement on social media.

This afternoon, Twitter user IfyNwadiwe uploaded a parody statement and illustration of SpaghettiOs, featuring the mascot waving a Black Lives Matter flag.