ASB rules Devondale ad showing Asian man struggling to herd cows was ‘demeaning’
Devondale has been found to have created a demeaning portrayal of an Asian person in a 15 second execution for milk which showed two Asian businessmen struggling to herd cattle with the tagline “Some businesses have no business making your milk”.
It is the third time the dairy brand has had an ad banned by the Advertising Standards Board, with a ruling against the ‘Glow girl’ ad in October last year and last December ruling against a spot for the brand’s flavoured milk.
The 15-second ad is taken from the minute-long execution which launched in July aimed at highlighting how Devondale is owned by Aussie farmers, showing a group of people in business dress from various backgrounds struggling to manage a dairy farm.
This is bordering on the stupid. Just HOW MANY complaints about this ad did the ASB get. I suspect one or two. It time some people loosened up and got a sense of humour. If the ASB had 200 complaints from 200 different people and I don’t mean a social media blast but people who had taken the time to make a considered argument then the ASB might have a reason for such a ban. But I suspect its just one person with a fax machine, and template complaint form an a few friends tweeting about it.
The ASB and all the regulators should stop being sensitive about the tiny tiny minorities and start listening to the vast majority.
Racial. So..
The ASB should be burnt to the ground.
The ASB are racists.
It happens to be a guy in a suit – a corporate. However the ASB only see that he is Asian.
He’s a human. He happens to be out of touch because he’s a suit.
I am considering launching 18C on their arse, simply because they cannot see someone based on the content of their character (i.e.: a useless suit), but the colour of their skin.
After watching the entire 60 seconds I can’t believe the ASB found this to be racial. It was having a go at professional people in general, and as someone who grew up on a farm I found it to be funny.
Correct Con. Just a corporate bloke in a suit, out of touch, just so happens to be Asian. I’m Korean for the record. Reckon it’s a great spot, gives you a bit of a laugh. Did this same person write into complain about the ‘facts’ in the old Telstra ad about Emperor Nasi Goreng, the Great Wall of China and the rabbits (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yckqyg75oE)? Lighten up, will you?
This is bordering on the pathetic via the insane. These men in suits, yes these Asian men in suits, are clearly not Aussie Dairy farmers. There could be of any nationality, and be represented as Aussie farmers, but not wearing grey business suits and making a dogs breakfast of directing cattle. The message is, and it clearly states, that these people have no business running the dairy farm.
Like the green Girl, these and many other Devondale ads, have been innovative, very well conceived and skilfully executed. How on earth could these be considered demeaning?
Is that Austrian guy who doesn’t seem to know the difference between his own country and Australia somehow not demeaning and racist , but this is? Or are they both good writing and fair humour? ? I think the latter.
We really must grow up, and quickly, before we become a laughing stock for the world
Con, I am SO offended by your comments.
It’s a fantastic ad with brilliant cut through and captures the undisputed and legendary prowess of our farmers and milk producers.
Great Ad Devondale. Don’t let the Bastards grind you down….
The ASB is against racial diversity. it’s okay for the ‘white’ businessmen to comically fumble around the dairy farm but not the Asian ones?
Ridicurous.
To be clear everyone, the 60sec version contained suit wearers of mixed race
and the banned advert was a 15sec cutdown not shown here, but
must have only contained the man in the suit of asian appearance
and that would appear as if to be an attack on a single race.
Now that we have clarity, I would like to point out that I am offended by a great
many other aspects in this TV advertisement especially the included 60sec
version in this article.
On behalf of all red headed women everywhere, I feel you have a valid complaint
and should boycott all dairy products, not just Devondale’s offerings as you have been
depicted as incompetent within the role of pencil skirt wearing farm hand and that
is quite outrageous.
On behalf of balding men and all men with receding hairlines of any origin, I feel you
have been attacked in a vile and heinous manner and you should also be outraged
as men with full heads of hair have not been demeaned in this portrayal. And typically, the
alleged Aussie farmer in the final shots is wearing a cap and from my sources, I discovered
that this is due to his own receding hairline. This cover up stinks in my opinion.
I also feel that the lack of bovine quadruped breeds other than Holstein Friesian, Jersey
and Aussie Red depicted in this commercial gives rise to a sense of inadequate milk production
from breeds such as the ‘Brown Swiss’.
Farm hands who wear Stiletto heels are also portrayed as unable to walk in substances
that have high water saturation levels and on behalf of you all, I feel like we have just been trodden
on without any form of follow up, or statistical research to ascertain if this is actually an issue
on a day to day basis.
I would also point out that drivers of German cars should be considering a class action as the
Mercedes shown in the advert is clearly an attack on all German automobile drivers in the way that
the shots suggest a general driving inability by only German car drivers. I know that a Mercedes is the
only brand shown, but it’s clearly a generalisation.
Why can’t all ads just be created under the ‘Brand Power’ formula as it demeans no one race
and is equally engaging on a multi-platform, digital engagement, immersive experience level.
I quite like the close up of the tits in the second shot where the woman holds the product but
other than being an opportunity for a cleavage shot, I see no issue with just making TV adverts
in that same formalised, researched to the point of budgetary extinction, manner.
Well, the Asians could fight back with showing how us impatient Westerners could not run a rice paddy. Take a fish out of water and he you don’t even appreciate he’s an excellent swimmer. The main thing about these advertisements is, and the ASB is hapless to prevent its own instrumentalisation (!), to create a stir and get reprimand as this gets it even more publicity.