from the NPR article you shared:

In the view of one advertising expert, the social media backlash is part of the point. The nature of the ads are one of the few ways companies can break through the noise in this day and age, Allen Adamson, co-founder of brand marketing firm Metaforce, told Morning Edition.

...

The Sweeney-centric campaign "was a company figuring out how to break through in a world where everyone is screaming and saying, 'Look at me, look at me!" Adamson said.

I didn't watch the ad until you linked to it. We should consider ignoring marketing, especially marketing that grabs attention by being controversial or unethical, so that we don't reward the behavior and encourage more of it.

a couple of points:

• i think calling it a "hint" or dog whistle etc is severe overstatement of the subtlety in which the message is delivered. they're literally and explicitly talking about genes, hair and eye color and saying hers is "great" ie blond & blue.

• i don't know why no one points to the actual bad part which is them saying genes determine personality, which is straight up eugenicist bullshit

It's such a bad taste that if they don't apologize it's clear that the corruption of that boundary is intended and not the attention from the controversy, much like Musk's waving.

Sad, there will be dark times ahead. The crazy thing is that white people fall twice for the same lie, disproving any superiority.