The Advertising Standards Authority has rejected two complaints about a recent Vodafone TVC, out of True Grey Lynn, which claimed the ad was sexist. The ASA said the ad “employed a subtle double-entendre” and was mitigated by humour and context.
“The ad showed a family watching the All Blacks playing the British Lions,” said the decision. “The family members were in different locations communicating via video chat on their phones.
“During the conversation the mother said ‘Oh come on – the boys are on form’, and the daughter replied ‘So much form, what a view’. The son who was at the actual game said Yeah. Still doesn’t beat the view I’ve got. The advertisement concluded with a voiceover ‘Connecting you to the All Blacks like never before’.
“The complainant said the advertisement was sexist and offensive as it portrayed a woman watching rugby for the ‘view’ of the male players. The complainant said it promoted a double standard of sexual harassment and it would not be acceptable if the genders were reversed.
The advertiser said the daughter was portrayed as an All Blacks fan sharing her enthusiasm for the game with her family. Her comment was intended to be light-hearted and tongue in cheek.
The Complaints Board said the advertisement employed a subtle double entendre which was not sexually explicit and was mitigated by humour and the context in which the woman appeared. The Complaints Board ruled the complaint was Not Upheld.
The people who make it happen were …
- Agency: True
- ECD: Craig Pethybridge
- Senior Art Director: Sarah Chernishov
- Senior Copywriter: Mike Ramsay
- Account Director: Amie Spence
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