Radio ad with Chinese accent ruled to be ‘mocking caricature’
Stereotype to caricature: Ad Standards has ruled that attitudes to accents have changed in five years
A radio ad that was cleared of racism five years ago has been ruled a breach of the advertising code of ethics because it is similar to “old tropes used to mock Asian characters”.
The ad, from regional Victorian business L&J Web Fencing, features “fences of the world”, including the Great Fence of China, plus other barricades in America (Fort Knox) and Scotland (Hadrian’s Wall). Each example is introduced in an exaggerated accent from the region.
Ad Standards received a complaint that the ad was racist due to the exaggerated Asian accent.
