Gender stereotype ban: Mondelēz UK advertisement comes under fire for “hapless” dads

16 Aug 2019 --- A television advertisement for Mondelēz UK Ltd’s Philadelphia cream cheese brand has been banned, following 128 consumer complaints. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the men in the advertisement perpetuate the gender stereotype of men being incapable of caring for children. Mondelēz responded that the advertisement, which depicts babies getting swept away on a conveyor belt while their fathers are distracted, was “intended to highlight the appeal of the product by showing a humorous situation.” They also argue that the gender roles could be reversed and that the message about the product would not be altered.

The advertisement takes place in a restaurant with a conveyor belt serving buffet food and depicts a woman passing a baby over to a man. Another man with a baby joins, and it is established that they are both new fathers. The men chat, and as they are distracted by the food, the babies are placed on the moving conveyor belt. As they retrieve the babies, one of the men says, “Let’s not tell mum.”

“Gender stereotypes are harmful, and the Fawcett Society welcomes the ASA’s precedent rulings. It’s about time advertisers woke up and stopped reinforcing lazy, outmoded gender stereotypes. There is a wealth of evidence that tells us ads that portray stereotyped images depicting women as passive and nurturing and men as courageous, adventurous pioneers – but by contrast hapless parents – serve to reinforce harmful inequalities in our society,” Ella Smillie, Head of Policy and Campaigns at the Fawcett Society, a UK charity for gender equality, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

The advertisement was ruled as being in breach of the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and UK Code of Broadcast Advertising (BCAP) code that states: “Advertisements must not include gender stereotypes that are likely to cause harm, or serious or widespread offence.”

ASA recognizes that regardless of their gender, it is common for parents to ask their children (often jokingly) not to tell their other parent about something that had happened. “However, in combination with the opening scene in which one of the babies was handed over by the mother to the father, and the final scene in which one of the fathers said, ‘Let’s not tell mum,’ we considered the advertisement relied on the stereotype that men were unable to care for children as well as women and implied that the fathers had failed to look after the children properly because of their gender,” the authority states.

Advertisements that do not show parents being equally responsible are at risk of being banned. The authority also considers the narrative and humor in the advertisement to be derived from the audience’s familiarity with the gender stereotype being portrayed. It notes that the men were portrayed as “hapless and inattentive,” which resulted in them being unable to care for their children properly.  

Feeling blue
The gender stereotyping regulation only came in to force this June, meaning that companies may still be adjusting to what it means for their marketing. Much of the marketing industry is still gripped by inertia when it comes to portraying men, women and families, and still succumbs to outdated stereotypes that negatively impact both society and a company’s revenue.

A recent study of UK men aged between 25 and 44 commissioned by The Book of Man – a new media support network offering advice and inspiration to men in “a time of great change” – threw fresh light on the representation of masculinity in advertising. It found that sixty-five percent think that male stereotypes are damaging, 56 percent said the definition of masculinity needs to change and 55 percent agreed social media has a bad effect on men’s self-image. Additionally, 69 percent feel misrepresented by brands and 56 percent had experienced mental health problems.

Mondelēz argues that the advertisement “showed and perpetuated a positive image of men with a responsible and active role in childcare in modern society.” It also chose two fathers deliberately to avoid the stereotype of two new mothers with childcare responsibilities.

Prior to being released, the advertisement had received Clearcast Video-On-Demand Advice alongside Broadcast Approval. The organizations considered the fathers’ fixation on lunch offerings to be central to the advertisement, and that “let’s not tell mum” was a commonplace exclamation signifying embarrassment that could be equally applied in a role reversal.

Dermacoll also came under fire from ASA this summer for its claims that its drink can combat signs of aging, reduce wrinkles and hydrate the skin. 

Last November, Kellogg’s welcomed ASA’s reversal of Coco Pops Granola’s advertisement ban, while obesity campaigners condemned the move. Part of the initial problem was that the advertisement used the same cartoon character and catchy jingles usually associated with other high sugar Coco Pops products. 

By Katherine Durrell