Snickers pull TV ad featuring a man who stops flirting with another man when he eats a Snickers bar
- Snickers posted an advert for their chocolate bar, which was slammed for being homophobic.
- Critics included Spain's Minister for Equality and the Spanish LGBT State Federation.
- The advert was pulled by the company, and they apologized for any misunderstanding.
A Snickers advert in Spain has been pulled by the company after widespread backlash for homophobia was received.
The advert shows two friends at a restaurant, where Spanish influencer Aless Gibaja orders a "sexy orange juice," clearly flirting with the male waiter. Puzzled and concerned glances are exchanged over this interaction, at which point Gibaja is handed a Snickers bar.
Upon eating the Snickers, Gibaja transforms from an effeminate, flirty man to a bearded man with a deep voice.
"Better?" the friend asks. "Better," replies the man as the company's tagline reads: "You're not yourself when you're hungry."
This has been widely regarded as seeing homosexual flirting and presentations of sexual identity as a joke to be corrected by a Snickers, which has led to the backlash.
Spain's Minister for Equality, Irene Montero, also commented on the advert. She tweeted: "Our society is diverse and tolerant. Hopefully, those who have the power to make decisions about what we see and hear in commercials and TV shows will learn to be too."
The Spanish LGBT State Federation said it was "shameful and regrettable" that companies "continue to perpetuate stereotypes and promote homophobia."
On August 5th Snickers apologized for any "misunderstanding that may have been caused."
The company added that "In this particular campaign, we wanted to convey in a friendly and lighthearted way that hunger can change your character. At no time was it intended to stigmatize or offend any person or collective."
A spokesperson for Mars Wrigley, the parent company of the Snickers brand, said, as reported in The Guardian: "We recognize that we got it wrong and have removed the online content immediately."
We take equal rights and inclusion seriously, we want a world where everybody is free to be themselves and we believe that as an employer and advertiser we have a role and a responsibility to play our part in creating that world."
This backlash comes just weeks after Spain was shocked by the brutal killing of a 24-year-old gay man in an alleged homophobic attack. The killing of Samuel Luiz caused protests to erupt across the country and was called a "savage and merciless act" by Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, according to The Guardian.
Six people, including two minors, have been arrested in connection with Luiz's death.