Two television ads have been banned for gender stereotyping rules, the adverts are the first to be banned under the new UK rules.
The ban for adverts using “harmful gender stereotypes” or those which are likely to cause “serious or widespread offence” came into force in June 2019. The first banned ad was for Philadelphia cheese which showed two fathers leaving a baby on a restaurant conveyor belt. The other was a VW advert which showed men being adventurous whilst a woman was sat alone by a pram.
There was around 128 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for the Philadelphia advert. The complaints said the advert suggested that men were not capable of caring for children.
On the other hand, the VW advert got three complains for showing men doing adventurous things whilst a woman looks after the baby.
Geraldine Ingham, head of marketing for Volkswagen UK, said: “As both a leader within this business and as a mother, I do not believe that the roles of the women in this advertisement are in any way portrayed negatively.
“Just like the men, they are shown taking part in challenging situations, such as in a tent perched on a mountainside and in a spacecraft, while another is shown to be embarking on what is surely life’s greatest and most valuable role – raising another human being.”
A Mondelez spokeswoman said: “We are extremely disappointed with the ASA decision. We take our advertising responsibility very seriously and work with a range of partners to make sure our marketing meets and complies with all UK regulation.”
