Tyreright, an Australian tyre dealer has recently had their television commercial pulled, after the Advertising Standards Board deemed the content to have “mocked and ridiculed” the representation of an Asian man.
The advertisement featured comedian Vince Sorrenti explaining to a man of Asian decent, the advantages and benefits of using Tyreright. The Asian man (who appears to be standing in front of a rice field) then asks the service takes a ‘wong time’ in broken English.
The Advertising Standards Board believe there was no need to represent an Asian man in this way to get the message across, and thought the message to be a form of racist stereotyping. (For more information, read the article at Smart Company).
However, Tyreright made a statement saying that it was not their intention to offend.
We’ve talked about offensive radio advertising in a previous post, and it is a hugely important issue. Australian standards have really changed significantly in the past decade. I guess our country needs to be much more conservative in their approach, and really consider how their advertising can impact on the citizens of Australia.
While we are sure Tyreright were just having a little fun, with any harm intended – except maybe to add a little humour to make their television commercial memorable, there probably wasn’t the need to convey their message in such a way.
Having said that, Australians don’t mind taking the Mickey out of themselves, and you are sure to see many advertisements featuring the stereotypical ocker Australian – surely that is the same thing, except we’re less likely to get all up in arms about it.
Either way, when it comes to your television or radio commercials, or any marketing for that matter, take time and effort when considering the content for your marketing material. Ensure your advertisement doesn’t contain offensive material of any sort – that way you will keep all your customers happy.
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