Cape Town — The Advertising Regulatory Board has deemed a radio advert by Volkswagen offensive and discriminatory after a complaint was submitted by a consumer.
The complainant described the advert as having homophobic undertones and promoting toxic masculinity.
The advertisement:
The radio commercial voice-over says: “It’s 1 am and you’re stuck somewhere in the Karoo. You don’t have food and it’s cold. But you do have your colleague Andile. And you remember that whole body warmth tip. So, who’s the little spoon? Andile’s 6”2, and you, Themba, half the size. Snuggle up! It’s going to be a long night. Next time, use Volkswagen Genuine Parts with a two-year warranty so you won’t end up in parts unknown, playing the part of the little spoon.”
The complainant said there was nothing wrong with two men cuddling, but the advert suggested so.
“There is nothing wrong with two men cuddling, yet the advert suggests there is. They could have used many other scenarios to describe the inconvenience and incompatibility without using two men snuggling. In fact, snuggling is a normal, healthy act in homosexual relationships.
“Adverts such as these, that have the potential to perpetuate stereotypes against vulnerable groups should not be tolerated, especially in the violent society we live in,” the Complainant added.
VW’s Response
The advertiser, however, responded, denying that the advertisement “portrayed a homophobic undertone, was offensive, or was discriminatory”.
VW said that the intention of the advert was to amuse the listeners.
“This was clear from the Advertisement, and no reasonable person would take the content of the Advertisement literally.
“The prospect of cuddling a colleague is a humorous situation, considering people prefer personal space over anything else, especially between professionals in a post-Covid environment.
“VWSA respectfully submits that this type of advertising falls within the ambit of the Code, more specifically, Section 4.2.3 (Hyperbole). A hyperbole as defined in the code is: ‘Obvious untruths, harmless parody or exaggerations, intended to catch the eye or amuse, are permissible, provided that they are clearly seen as humorous or hyperbolic, and are not likely to be understood as making literal claims for the advertised product,’” VW said.
It added: “The brand supports all forms of inclusivity and diversity through its communication.
“Any perceived violation stems from the complainant’s interpretation of the Advertisement. VWSA is appreciative of the different interpretation that the complainant shares, which takes cognisance of and is indeed indicative of the diverse society that we live in.”
Verdict
The Advertising Regulatory Board instructed Volkswagen “not to flight the commercial in its current format in the future”.
The directorate found that the advertisement was “offensive against sectoral values or sensitivities”, and was, therefore, in breach of Clause 1 of Section II, and “contains descriptions that are discriminatory”, and was, therefore, in breach of Clause 3.4 of Section II.
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Compiled by Junaid Benjamin
