UK computer retailer forced to pull ad because the three people in it were men

A UK computer retailer, whose customer base is approximately 90% men, recently ran an advertisement that showed three (racially diverse) men using computers. Three. Not three hundred, three. This was apparently absolutely unacceptable to a few individuals who took grave offense at the fact that none of the three people in the video were women... So they complained. The company was then forced by the Advertising Standards Authority to remove the ad for promoting "harmful gender stereotypes".
Not only must someone be mentally unstable to complain about a private company making an ad featuring the demographics that make up the overwhelming majority of their customers, but this growing trend of being offended by and complaining about everything has gone past an occasional societal oddity to become something that is actually dangerous and harmful.

A PC Specialist ad has been pulled in the UK for "harmful gender stereotypes," after a handful of politically correct whiners reported it to the Advertising Standards Authority for showing just three men and zero women.

After receiving a mere eight complaints, the company was forced to pull a recent ad in which three ethnically diverse men are seen making music, gaming, and coding.

According to PC Specialist, their customer base is comprised of almost 90% men
Source

Maybe it's best we stop letting the inmates run the asylum, while we still have the chance.

Here's the ad in question:

As a public service next time add more of a disclaimer before posting a link to an advertisment that offensive. Boy that thing was difficult to watch / Sarcasm

I don't get people anymore

a reply to: trollz

This is beyond ridiculous and is common these days. What the hell happened to people's brains? Don't they use them anymore?

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever read.

Back when I lurked ATS and eventually joined, this exact scenario was something of doom pr0n and we all laughed nervously 😅 but fast forward eight years later, it's an eventuality 😥

We cannot allow this to happen in the US and if it does, we must react.

I used to work in advertising. Most of your larger companies have "style guides" that must be followed. It would blow your mind if you saw some of the specifications for their video and still photography. One major company's guide had the following.

If you have a group of three people, it must contain at least one woman and more than one race represented.

A group of five or more must contain at least one person with a visible handicap, at least one woman and more than two races represented.

You cannot have a man standing over a seated woman.
You cannot have a White man standing over a seated minority.

I can go on and on.

The main problem isn't the complainers. It's that the media looks for the chance to jump on things like this and explode them way out of proportion. Companies don't want the poor publicity and the Government thinks that it has to be seen doing something.

a reply to: trollz

Duh, if women use computer keyboards, they damage their nails.


Let's be clear about this.

a reply to: trollz

"harmful gender stereotypes" , a phrase that makes my blood boil every time I hear it , this whole gender equality thing is going way above what should be considered acceptable and needs to be stopped.

There is an agenda at play.

One from a couple of days ago.

An advert saying "You do the girl boss thing" has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

People Per Hour, an online platform that connects businesses and freelancers, ran the advert on the London Underground last year.

The ASA upheld 19 complaints it received about the advert and ruled that it reinforced "harmful gender stereotypes".
www.bbc.co.uk...

men, we spiitt on em....ha....

We are investing time and effort into our own demise..

a reply to: trollz

Sounds to me like the company just lost its nuts. Forced is a strong word and I don't see how or why they were actually "forced".

90% male audience and 8 people complained? This company is just wussy. I mean was one of those complainers Brad Pitt or Meryl Streep or something?


Contrary to popular belief, you can run a company the way you want and tell these minorities to piss off. Were any of those 8 complainers a potential customer?

I'd even go as far as saying that when companies stand up to this kinda crud, they actually gain a stronger base following. Check out Jesse James instagram and look at how he handles "snowflakes" in the comments. Amidst his hard stance, he still sells $100,000 bikes and $20,000 guns.

It's not a fake problem, but its a super minority grievance and these companies are so scared of losing a little business that they are actually losing MORE customers due to their gutlessness.

Actually... can anyone find where adhering to a minorities whim of this type has actually BOOSTED a company? Or do they just scream and complain until it's torn down and then walk away to another thing to complain about.


_____

A bearded lady walks into a Braums and screams "Where's your Rocky Road? This is an outrage. Why are you not representing my needs and wants?!"

Braums New Ad Campaign - "Now featuring Rocky Road!"

Bearded lady - "I don't even like ice cream."

______

a reply to: MarkOfTheV

Sounds to me like the company just lost its nuts. Forced is a strong word and I don't see how or why they were actually "forced".

The advert was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority under their new rules , it isn't the first and it won't be the last , the ASA have the teeth to pull the add regardless of what the company thinks.

So, people in the UK are getting weird too, it evidently is not just the USA. Maybe guys should be required to be actors in tampon ads. Women should be required to be in men's underwear commercials too. I am all for a sexy girl holding a power tool in an advertisement for power tools.

originally posted by: Night Star
a reply to: trollz

This is beyond ridiculous and is common these days. What the hell happened to people's brains? Don't they use them anymore?

I think they banned the newer generations from having fully functioning brains after the eighties.

Couldn't they claim that one of the people in the advert identified as a woman?

Problem solved.

Unless of course, those that complained are using gender stereotypes of external appearance to determine the preferred gender of the person in the advert.

Kinda ironic, is it not?

a reply to: gortex

Man... a look through that site shows its just one big complaint filing service.

People need to burn that place to ground.

ASA | CAP

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: trollz

"harmful gender stereotypes" , a phrase that makes my blood boil every time I hear it , this whole gender equality thing is going way above what should be considered acceptable and needs to be stopped.

There is an agenda at play.

Oh, I dunno - - as a 73 year old woman - - who lived in the pre-equality gender era - - I recognize the value of this in advertising (and other).

When I tell my 18 year old granddaughter what it was really like in the 50s/60s - - she's like "No Way!" Yes, Way!

History is so easily forgotten when it doesn't affect you personally.

a reply to: Krakatoa

As a straight white man, I also identify as a female lesbian, so that is a distinct possibility.

originally posted by: Charliebrowndog
As a public service next time add more of a disclaimer before posting a link to an advertisment that offensive. Boy that thing was difficult to watch / Sarcasm

I don't get people anymore

I object to your use of language. The use of "Boy" is problematic and promotes patriarchy. I am now triggered and need a therapy dog, but only a female, all-natural, vegan one.

/sarc

There. Did I wokescold correctly?

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: trollz

"harmful gender stereotypes" , a phrase that makes my blood boil every time I hear it , this whole gender equality thing is going way above what should be considered acceptable and needs to be stopped.

There is an agenda at play.

I find it funny, such a story coming from RT, just recently the Russian government featured a photoshoot to celebrate international Women’s Day, without a single servicewoman, while Russian serviceman were shown along with dancing ballerinas...just shows you that equality is quite selective in Russia.
While I think there should be gender equality, I think the guidelines must be somewhat vague, however insinuating the ad was created in a cynical way by talking about, "harmful gender stereotypes" as if is taking things too far.

a reply to: Annee

And while history shouldn't be forgotten, we also need to move past it instead of loading that chip onto every successive generation's shoulders. You fought; your daughter doesn't need to.