Coffee chain pulls ‘Sticky Boy’ ad after complaints of ‘violence’, ‘bullying’ and ‘paedophilia’
An ad for a Perth coffee drive through chain featuring a man pouring a sticky drink on a young boy has been pulled, following complaints of violence and paedophilia to the Advertising Standards Board.
Complaints said the ad depicted “violence” “bullying” and “paedophilia”
Dubbed ‘Sticky Boy,’ the ad for Muzz Buzz, produced by production company Mad Kids, shows a young boy with a beverage being poured over his head by a man in a car. When the man finishes pouring the drink, he touches the boy’s head, licks his finger and says “Delicious sticky boy.”
The complaints argued the ad was “creepy” and “inappropriate,” as it depicted child abuse and bullying.
just a really rubbish skittles rip off right?
The people who dream up the rationale and metaphors for these complaints are actually the sick ones.
Isnt that the truth…………As a survivor of Abuse, I do not see anything wrong with the ad and certainly not abuse towards the boy or paedophilia and I have to serious wonder about the people who saw Paedophilia, they are the sick people, not MB. It was a bit of slap stick comedy and that IS ALL. Sadly we live in a world where the pendulum has swung too far the other way, and to have any kind of fun is considered abusive to someone!!!!!
The ad was funny and FUN, nothing more.
Do you know people even complained about the child eating the Brownes yogurt, that was a brilliant ad but still people called it abuse and exploration. It won International awards, it was a brilliant ad. We just arent allowed to have fun these days
I’d really like to know how many ad complaints are actually genuine – if you took away malicious competitor brands, Christian lobby groups and the unemployed would there actually be any complaints?
Either that or there are a lot of people out there with abstract minds…
Wise words
That is exactly who the complaints were from
The FUN Police
Sticky, how could many of the ad complaints come from the Christian Lobby Group?
Alan, Ray, Janet, Andrew, Piers, Miranda, Brian, Greg and Steve reassure me every day of the week through the media that it is only the chardonnay swilling, latte sipping, bleeding heart, greenie, NIMBY, politically correct lefties that are destroying Australia that make such complaints.
Unemployed? Where do they fit into the equation?
Maybe we should boycott Muzz Buzz because of this absolute moronic stupidity. ‘Stupid Is Forever’. Muzz Buzz you should also can your advertising agency real quick!
Money was exchanged to make that inappropriate unfunny nonsensically luring creep-fest. Seriously this is not forward advertising.
Gratuitous is fine. I just think its nasty.
Surprised child employment approved.
I LOVE the Muzz Buzz Ad, good to see someone still knows how to have a laugh. Well Done.
I can have a laugh at what is actually funny. All of these ads are just stupid
Sadly, this wreaks of creatives exploiting clients just to get ‘different’ work in their folio or to get notoriety. Getting a client’s work banned and shared for graphic and shocking content is so ‘old hat’ and not the way to get a brand to grow effectively. ‘Viral’ doesn’t mean it does you good as a given. There needs to be more independent voices in our industry who stand up for clients to avoid this kind of exploitation.
If you are going to do ‘disruptive’ then at least do it well.
Right on.
It’s just super-creepy isn’t it? More importantly, it just isn’t funny. I just don’t know this idea got all the way to production – every creative session has dumb ideas that make you laugh uncomfortably, and then you go ‘nah, doesn’t work’ and some even get a little further, but someone, somewhere had to be the adult here.
That people think this is OK or acceptable or funny speaks volumes for why the Advertising Industry has sunk so low.
However I think it should stay on air – be worth millions to their competitors.
There is little doubt that the ad is poorly written and poorly directed, even bordering on mindless, but anyone who thought that the message was paedophilia, has a genuine need for self analysis.