Make you Fairer on Facebook : Vaseline Launches Facebook app that "whitens" your profile pic

The fact that India has always been obsessed with fair skin is well known. Thanks to this obsession, popularity of creams that promise a lighter shade of skin in a matter of few weeks have always been high. While until now, these promotions were restricted to print and Television advertisements, a new fairness cream has broken traditional grounds by giving itself a social media platform and even has an app of its own.

Vaseline has made a new application for users on Facebook to promote its fairness cream for men. What is more interesting is what the application actually does. Using the app, users can make the skin tone on their profile pics a few shades lighter so that they can "preview" their look should they become fairer after using the cream. The page already has 500 plus fans and it is likely that the number would go up pretty fast - mostly with members from our Fairness obsessed country.

The people behind the ad have claimed that the campaign has been a roaring success, as told to the AFP. However, questions are already being raised over the "racist" nature of the app. Vaseline has roped in popular Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor to promote the cream. We wonder why Shahid, who is a far cry from being dark complexioned, would require a fairer complexion to become more attractive? Same is the case with Shahrukh khan who promotes a rival brand.

Picture a scenario of a similar application or an advertisement appearing in U.S. Will a product that is named "Healthy White Body Milk" ever sell in U.S.? Do you think the U.S. authorities would ever approve of a racist name like that? We don't think so.

We wonder whatever happened to the concept of the tall, dark and handsome man. Or is it that this concept has a conditions apply asterisk that says "excludes India"?

Would you change the color of your Facebook profile pic a few shades lighter? Leave us a comment and let us know.