Walgreens Commercial Targets Redheads: Humorous, Hurtful or Informative?

Redheads: have you seen Walgreens’ most recent commercial? (Scroll below to watch)

It’s called ‘Summer Reinforcements’. It’s about neighborhood kids who hold a very important meeting in a tree house to discuss their dwindling summer supplies. One kid popped the alligator floatie and another kid (a redhead) used all of the sunscreen. They call in reinforcements, which happen to come from a trip to Walgreens.

Does the Walgreens commercial bring back memories of your childhood? When friends would brag about their tan lines, redheads were slathering on aloe vera and dipping into oatmeal baths to relieve sunburn pain.”

If the commercial drives one point home it is that sun protection is a must for redheads. We are genetically more susceptible to melanoma because we carry what’s called the redhead MC1R gene — even if we protect our skin every time we’re out in the sun. But, if you’re a blonde or brunette and reading this, you need to wear sunscreen too!

The NEED for redheads needing sunscreen and extra sun protection has turned into a running joke over the years, especially on social media.

We’ll admit, we joke about it too.. but it is very serious.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, overexposure to sunlight before age 18 is most damaging to the skin. Even one blistering sunburn during childhood or adolescence can nearly double a person’s chance of developing melanoma.

 

Watch the Walgreens commercial here:

We do laugh a bit when we see the redhead covered in sunscreen. But, this commercial does put a sigma on redheads. We know most are pale and freckly..but not all.

Do you find the commercial humorous, hurtful or just informative? Share your comments below!