list of contributors - GALA

7. Offensive
Advertising
Topic: Section ll, Clause 3.5 of the Advertising Standards Authority Code of
Advertising Practice (“ASA Code”) (“gender”)
Who: ASA Directorate
When: March 2005
Where: South Africa
What Happened: A consumer complaint was lodged against an Elizabeth Arden television
commercial for its Provocative perfume product. The commercial featured
men melting into a puddle of water at the sight of a woman, presumably
wearing the advertised product.
The complainant submitted that the commercial was offensive, sexist and
demeaning since it implied that men are powerless to sexual provocation.
Furthermore, it was submitted that the advertisement promoted the idea that
it is okay for women to use sexual innuendo to gain favour, control or
acceptance, which is demeaning to women and insulting to men.
The respondent replied that the commercial had been flighted internationally
and that this was the first and only complaint against it, and that a
reasonable consumer was likely to perceive the commercial as over the top
and unrealistic as it is impossible for men to melt and become water as
suggested by the commercial.
The Directorate requested an opinion from the Commission on Gender
Equality (CGE), which submitted that the advertiser exploited the phrase
“men will melt” to promote sales of its product, the effect of which is to make
an excessively generalised statement that all men would react the same way
to a beautiful woman. The CGE concluded that the commercial gender
stereotyped men and women by perpetuating the notion of women as sex
objects and of men as slaves of sexual provocation.
The Directorate took into consideration the submissions made by both
parties, as well as the CGE’s opinion. Section 3.5 of Section II states that
gender stereotyping or negative gender portrayal should not be permitted in
advertising, unless in the opinion of the ASA, such stereotyping is justifiable
in an open and democratic society based on human dignity, equality and
freedom.
The Directorate was of the opinion that the commercial must be seen in the
context as a whole, and in the context and nature of the product. The product
was a perfume, worn by people to make them more appealing to others. The
concept of “men will melt” is well-known and was used in an acceptable
manner to tie up with the concept of the commercial and the name of the
product. There is nothing degrading about melting, it is merely a social
reality that people experience attraction towards each other.
The hypothetical reasonable consumer is likely to perceive the commercial as
unrealistic.
Therefore, the Directorate concluded that the commercial was not demeaning
and sexist to men and women and not in contravention of the Code. The
complaint was dismissed.