Some Dads Want This Walmart Ad Banned Because It Gives Moms Too Much Credit
AsdaA group that advocates for "father's rights" in Britain has urged the advertising regulator there to ban an ad for Asda, the European unit of Walmart, that celebrates the tireless work of moms over Christmas.
The Advertising Standards Authority told Campaign that it had received 33 complaints so far about the ad, from agency Saatchi & Saatchi. The ASA has been known to ban campaigns after as few as a single complaint, and it tends to take a censorious line against outright sexism.
The ad shows a "typical" British mom masterminding a family Christmas dinner, exhausting herself in the effort. It's cheesy, heartwarming stuff. The tagline: "Behind every great Christmas there's mum and behind mum there's Asda."
Fathers4Justice, however, objects to the portrayal of the dad in the commercial. His character is portrayed as ineffective and clueless -- a typical "dumb dad" stereotype that has become increasingly common in advertising.
The context here is that when it comes to groceries, women tend to make most of the purchasing decisions; thus grocery ads tend to see things from their point of view. And Fathers4Justice is a media-stunt loving group that believes the law discriminates against men who have split up with the mothers of the their children.
Decide for yourself:
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