A new advertising campaign for Magnum ice-creams is facing criticism from the LGBTIQ+ community after appearing to compare the "guilty pleasure" of eating an ice-cream to that of being gay in countries where homosexuality is illegal.
In the ads, which are being rolled out across streaming platform Spotify, a man is heard saying: “A hug for my boyfriend - that’s my guilty pleasure, because in my country, just a simple hug with the man I love could send me to prison for more than 10 years.”
While the man's home country isn't specified, people were quick to slam the comparison on social media - labeling it "not okay".
Despite ongoing criticism and calls to pull the ad, Magnum defended it, telling NewsWeek that the intention was “to remind people that what is considered a guilty pleasure isn’t always what you would expect.”
It's believed that three different versions of the commercial are currently in rotation.
Homosexuality continues to be illegal in at least 70 countries, with penalties ranging from short-term imprisonment to the death penalty.
