A Twitter ad for Sportsbet’s mobile app has been slammed by the Australian Ad Standards’ Community Panel for being “misogynistic,” “offensive” and presenting a “negative stereotype” of women.
The advertisement was found to have breached section 2.1 of the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics, which states that, “Advertising or marketing communication shall not portray people or depict material in a way which discriminates against or vilifies a person or section of the community on account of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, sexual preference, religion, disability, mental illness or political belief.”
The ad fell into the vilification category, according to the AANA, because it featured a beauty pageant contestant who seemingly did not understand how to use the mobile app. “I personally believe that apps such, like, as Sportsbet that make it easier for people to use,” she says, “because…apps!” Then a voiceover intones, “The new iPhone app from Sportsbet—it’s foolproof.”
Sportsbet said the ad “does not in any way depict material which discriminates or vilifies any individual or a group of people. Rather, it merely attempts to use satire and humor to convey the message that Sportsbet’s new app is easy and simple to use.
“As the community panel is aware, the advertisement is one of a series of Sportsbet advertisements which seek to depict a series of individuals doing silly or foolish things as a humorous way to illustrate that use of the app is ‘foolproof.’ The characters in the advertisements are varied, and this advertisement features a beauty pageant contestant giving a particularly silly answer to a question from the host, which is a commonly parodied type of scene or setting.
“Clearly, none of the required elements of inequity, bigotry, intolerance, contempt or inciting hatred (among others) are present in the advertisement.”
The panel disagreed, saying the ad “conveys the overall impression that women who enter beauty pageants are unintelligent, which is a negative stereotype.”
