Australia’s Advertising Standards Board (ASB) has censured a Cadbury Picnic television commercial for negatively stereotyping Indian people.
The advertisement titled ‘Obey your mouth’ shows an Indian person making airport announcements. The watchdog received a complaint stating that the advertisement ‘exploits the often used caricature of the ethnic stereotype; the stereotypical Indian accent with the cliche Indian caricature demeanour’.
The makers of the advertisement, Mondelez defended their ad.
“The TVC was designed to appeal to our consumers and in no way intended to offend or insult,” the confectionary company said.
“According to the last census, approximately 43% of Australians have at least one parent who was born overseas and 30% of the population were born in another country. Collectively, Australians speak over 200 languages,” Mondelez said.
“The TVC is simply reflective of the diversity of Australia’s population and given the humorous tone of the advertisement, does not portray or depict material in a way which discriminates against or vilifies a person or section of the community on account of race or ethnicity.”
The ASB board however rejected this explanation as majority of board considered the depiction of the Indian man as negative and one that perpetuated a stereotype.
It was the board’s view that the ad did depict material that discriminates against or vilifies a person or section of the community on account of race and thus the complaint was upheld.
The ad has been off air for a number of weeks now and will not return, Mumbrella reported.
