1001 Optometry has pulled an advertising campaign after a complaint was made that its imagery reinforced racial stereotypes. The campaign, titled 'Do Good. Look Good.', featured two Black children next to an appeal for used glasses donations, and a white family alongside a discount offer.
A man who saw the advertisement outside a 1001 Optometry store in Sydney's west accused the business of negatively portraying people of color. He pointed to the ad's layout, where the call to donate used glasses was paired with an image of Black children, while a white family was shown with a promotion for a discount on frames.
"How is it still acceptable to use people of color so people will feel sorry and donate? On the other hand, the white couple is praised and given a positive image. When will this end?" the man reportedly stated, according to Daily Mail. "We're in 2026. This needs to stop and people need to speak up."
He further claimed that advertisers commonly use images of people of color to represent poverty, while presenting white individuals more positively. "They will never use their color to say that there is a poverty. They will always use your type of color. They will always use black, Indian, Filipinos and everyone's color to make them poor," he said.
A spokesperson for 1001 Optometry acknowledged the concerns and stated that the campaign materials had been removed pending a review. "The initiative was created to encourage customers to donate used prescription glasses to Lions Recycle for Sight Australia at participating 1001 Optometry stores," the spokesperson said. "We have removed campaign materials while we consider the concerns raised."