Cadbury ‘Sorry’ Over Naomi Campbell Chocolate Advert

Chocolate maker Cadbury has apologised to Naomi Campbell after one of its adverts “caused upset” to the supermodel.

The print campaign for Dairy Milk Bliss featured the tagline 'Move over Naomi, there's a new diva in town', next to a bar of chocolate standing in a pile of diamonds.

After Campbell last week suggested she might sue the company, Cadbury has now published a statement http://www.cadbury.co.uk/contact/PressCentre/PressReleasesFacts/Pages/CadburyBlissAd.aspx on its website.

The company said it was “sincerely sorry” and that it did not intend to offend “Naomi, her family or anybody else.”

Cadbury also confirmed that the advert had been withdrawn and the model's solicitors had accepted the apology on her behalf.

Originally, the company had defended the advert as a play on the model's 'diva' reputation, saying it was “a light-hearted take on the social pretensions of Cadbury Dairy Milk Bliss.”

Campbell told campaign group Operation Black Vote she was “pleased” with the public apology.

“The advertisement was in poor taste on a number of levels,” said the 41-year-old.

“It is also a shame that it took so long for Cadbury to offer this apology.”

She continued: “I hope they and other multinationals can learn from this… Better still they should avoid causing offence in the first place, which is best achieved by having greater diversity at board and senior management level.”

The Advertising Standards Authority says it has received four complaints about the adverts and is in the early stages of deciding whether to launch a formal investigation.