Darlie
An Asian oral-care brand formerly known as Darkie, recognized for mint toothpaste and a long-running rebranding process addressing its racially offensive historical name and imagery.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Darlie is an oral-care brand owned and manufactured by Hawley & Hazel Chemical Company and sold primarily in Asian markets. The brand originated in Shanghai during the 1930s under the English name Darkie and the Chinese name 黑人牙膏, meaning “Black Person Toothpaste.” Its original packaging used a caricature associated with blackface minstrel imagery: a wide-eyed figure wearing a top hat, monocle, and bow tie. The name and visual identity later became the focus of sustained criticism because “Darkie” or “Darky” can function as a racial slur against Black people and because the packaging drew on racist caricature. Colgate-Palmolive acquired a 50% equity interest in Hawley & Hazel in 1985. The investment brought the brand into a multinational corporate portfolio and triggered controversy in the United States. Colgate-Palmolive chief executive Ruben Mark apologized in response to the criticism. In 1989, the English brand name was changed to Darlie and the package illustration was modified to depict a more racially ambiguous figure rather than the earlier blackface caricature. The Chinese name remained 黑人牙膏 for many years, and a Chinese-language advertising effort emphasized continuity of the product identity despite the English-language change. Darlie continued to be distributed across Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand and Hong Kong. Its original product was mint toothpaste, while the portfolio also included other flavors, including products aimed at children. Historical market-share figures cited for 1989 placed the brand at approximately 75% in Taiwan, 50% in Singapore, 30% in Malaysia and Hong Kong, and 20% in Thailand. By late 2018, the brand was still described as one of the leading toothpaste brands in its target markets, with reported shares varying by market from roughly 10% to 30%. In June 2020, amid renewed global attention to racial justice following the killing of George Floyd, Colgate-Palmolive said it would work with Hawley & Hazel to review and further evolve the Darlie brand, including its name. On December 14, 2021, Hawley & Hazel announced that the Chinese name would change from 黑人牙膏 to 好來, a name connected to Hawley & Hazel and conveying a more positive meaning. The change was scheduled to begin in March 2022. This transition made the brand's naming history an important part of its public identity, while the products continued to operate in the Asian oral-care market.
History
Darlie's history begins in Shanghai in the 1930s, when the toothpaste was introduced under the English name Darkie and the Chinese name 黑人牙膏. The Chinese expression literally referred to a Black person, while the English name was closely related to a racial slur. The early package used a theatrical blackface caricature, depicting a wide-eyed man in a top hat, monocle and bow tie. The imagery reflected minstrel-show stereotypes and later became the central source of criticism directed at the brand. The brand expanded through Asian markets and developed a strong presence in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand and other territories. Its original flavor was mint, and the range later included additional flavors and products for children. Darlie was positioned as an everyday oral-care product rather than a specialized professional dental brand. Historical figures cited for 1989 indicate particularly high penetration in Taiwan and Singapore, with lower but still substantial shares in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Thailand. A major corporate turning point came in 1985, when Colgate-Palmolive acquired half of Hawley & Hazel. The transaction caused controversy in the United States because a major international consumer-goods company had become associated with a product carrying a racially offensive name and visual identity. Ruben Mark, then Colgate-Palmolive's chief executive, apologized. Colgate-Palmolive also stated that the brand would remain an Asian-market product rather than being sold globally. In 1989, the English name was changed to Darlie. The packaging artwork was also modified so that the character no longer presented the earlier explicit blackface appearance, although the figure continued to wear a top hat and retained a stylized identity. The Chinese name remained 黑人牙膏. Advertising in Chinese markets sought to reassure existing consumers that the familiar product had not fundamentally changed, creating a split between the revised English identity and the unchanged Chinese name. The brand attracted further public attention in 2004 when it appeared in the mockumentary film C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America. The film used mock advertisements for products associated with racist history in its alternate-history setting, and the closing credits identified Darlie's predecessor, along with many other advertised products, as having been genuine commercial brands. In 2020, after the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing racial-justice protests, Colgate-Palmolive announced that it would work with Hawley & Hazel to review and further evolve all aspects of Darlie, including the name. The announcement placed the brand within a wider reassessment of historically racist consumer trademarks and characters. On December 14, 2021, Hawley & Hazel announced that the Chinese name would change from 黑人牙膏 to 好來. The new name was linked to Hawley & Hazel and was scheduled to take effect from March 2022. Darlie therefore represents both a long-running Asian oral-care business and a prominent example of corporate rebranding prompted by historical racial imagery and language.
- 2021
Chinese name change announced
[1]Hawley & Hazel announces that 黑人牙膏 will be replaced by 好來 beginning in March 2022.
- 2020
Brand review announced
[1]Colgate-Palmolive says it will work with Hawley & Hazel to review and further evolve the Darlie brand, including its name.
- 2004
Brand appears in C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America
[1]Darlie's predecessor is referenced through a mock advertisement in the alternate-history mockumentary, which featured historically racist commercial imagery.
- 1989
English name and packaging are changed
[1]Darkie becomes Darlie in English, and the earlier blackface-associated illustration is replaced by a racially ambiguous character.
- 1985
Colgate-Palmolive acquires a 50% interest in Hawley & Hazel
[1]The investment brings Colgate-Palmolive into the ownership structure connected with the brand and triggers controversy over the product's name and packaging.
Brand launches in Shanghai during the 1930s
[1]The toothpaste is introduced in Shanghai under the names Darkie and 黑人牙膏. The exact launch year is not specified in the referenced material.
Products and positioning
Mass-market oral-care brand focused on fresh breath, mint flavor and everyday dental protection in Asian markets.
Toothpaste
Darlie mint toothpaste
The original and historically central Darlie product is a mint-flavored toothpaste. Mint is associated with the brand's fresh-breath positioning and forms the basis of its everyday oral-care range in Asian markets.
Children's oral care
Darlie children's toothpaste
The brand has also offered toothpaste in flavors intended for children. The referenced material confirms the existence of children's flavors but does not specify the complete product range, formulations or launch dates.
Oral care
Darlie oral-care products
Darlie is described as an oral-care brand rather than solely a single toothpaste SKU. The available reference identifies toothpaste as the core category but does not provide a complete itemized list of associated oral-care products.
Controversies
2021
Replacement of the Chinese brand name
Hawley & Hazel announced the replacement of 黑人牙膏 with 好來, addressing the continued use of a Chinese name associated with the brand's controversial racial history.
2020
Renewed racial-justice criticism
Following the killing of George Floyd and related protests, the brand's historical name and imagery again received scrutiny. Colgate-Palmolive announced a review of the brand, including its name.
1985
Controversy over the Darkie name and blackface packaging
Colgate-Palmolive's acquisition of a 50% interest in Hawley & Hazel brought criticism of the brand's racial slur-associated English name and its caricatured blackface packaging. Colgate-Palmolive chief executive Ruben Mark apologized.
Marketing campaigns
- 1989Chinese-language continuity campaign
Taiwan · China · Hong Kong · Singapore · Malaysia · Thailand
After the English name changed from Darkie to Darlie, Chinese-language advertising reassured consumers that the familiar 黑人牙膏 product remained the same, even though its English branding and package illustration had been revised.
Outcome. The Chinese name remained in use for decades after the English rebrand.
Brand decisions
2021
Chinese name changed from 黑人牙膏 to 好來StrategyBackground
The Chinese name had remained unchanged after the 1989 English rebrand and continued to carry the historical controversy associated with the original identity.
Action taken
Hawley & Hazel announced that the Chinese brand name would become 好來, with implementation planned from March 2022.
Aftermath
The announcement marked a further stage in the brand's effort to separate its current identity from the original racialized name.
2020
Review of all aspects of the Darlie brandStrategyBackground
Renewed global attention to racial injustice made the historical name, imagery and continued Chinese naming especially controversial.
Action taken
Colgate-Palmolive announced that it would work with Hawley & Hazel to review and further evolve the brand, including its name.
Aftermath
Hawley & Hazel subsequently announced a new Chinese name for the brand.
1989
English rebrand from Darkie to DarlieStrategyBackground
The original English name was widely criticized because of its association with a racial slur and the brand's blackface-associated character.
Action taken
The English name was changed to Darlie and the package image was redesigned. The Chinese name was retained at the time.
Aftermath
The brand continued operating across Asian markets under a divided naming system, with Darlie used in English and 黑人牙膏 retained in Chinese.
1985
Colgate-Palmolive takes a 50% equity interest in Hawley & HazelM&ABackground
The transaction connected the multinational consumer-goods company with a brand whose English name and packaging were already vulnerable to criticism.
Action taken
Colgate-Palmolive acquired half of Hawley & Hazel's equity and became associated with the brand's subsequent response to the controversy.
Aftermath
The company apologized publicly, and the brand later changed its English name and packaging.
Recent events
Hawley & Hazel announces a Chinese name change for Darlie[2]
Reported:
Hawley & Hazel announced that Darlie's Chinese name would change from 黑人牙膏 to 好來 in March 2022, while its English name and logo would remain unchanged.
Sources2 sources
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