‘Grumpy cow’ ad banned as sexist, ageist and violent by advertising watchdog
A real estate agent’s ad featuring a grumpy landlady wielding a gun has fallen foul of the advertising watchdog because it breaches rules about stereotyping of older people and portrayal of violence in ads.
The ad – from Victorian real estate agency Hayeswinckle – featured an image of an old woman in a nightdress, with curlers in her hair scowling at the camera and holding a rifle.
The message on the ad read “Is your property manager a grumpy cow? Relax, nice ones do exist”.
Sorry Tim, but that’s very obviously not a shotgun, it’s a rifle.
Thanks for the heads-up, Phil.
Guns never were my thing (I relied on the description in the ASB case report). Duly amended.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Getting sick of the ASB choosing what meets their taste of humour or what doesn’t. Get rid of them.
Is the ASB determination enforceable in any way? or just a bunch of randoms throwing out their opinions?
Hi Question,
The ASB is funded by the ad industry, so is self regulation rather than statutory.
Where it has power is that mainstream brands and media support it, so if an ad was banned, the big media companies would decline to publish it if an advertiser tried it.
Where it struggles is with maverick brands (Wicked Campers come to mind) who don’t use mainstream media and could ignore it if they wish.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Only a grumpy old cow would have lodged a complaint.
Nothing to see here. Everyone get back to work, the summer break is over.
I would just like to say that in all my life to date, I have never encountered a grumpy old woman, I don’t believe that they exist. I have met many grumpy old men, I am one myself, and of course there were three films made by that title with Jack Lemon and Walter Matthau, proving the existence of grumpy old men with guns and fishing rods and attitude.
I think it is time we had a ban on the very word “Stereotype” because any depiction today by a so called actor, is an affront to life as we know it. No blacking up, no playing wheelchair bound persons, no negative characterisations depicting women, and especially old women. The use of foreign accents is also racist, and ethnic differences are to be avoided, unless the ethnicity is Pommy, or at least Caucasian and English speaking . If we stick to this rule, we may be safe to at least rehearse the next play before it comes under scrutiny.
One is tempted to begin seeing Rosser Reeves famous get-out-of-jail quote as becoming something of a prophecy (if we are accepting all creativity has the potential for offence).
‘Advertising works openly, in the bare and pitiless sunlight’.