30/01/2013

ASA Clear Asda Over 'Sexist' Christmas Ad

Asda’s festive TV campaign has been cleared by the advertising watchdog, despite it receiving more than 600 complaints.

The Advertising Standards Authority received 620 complaints about the TV ad, which showed a harassed mother swamped with festive preparations: shopping, cooking, cleaning, writing cards, wrapping presents and making beds.

The campaign ended with the line "Behind every great Christmas there's mum, and behind every mum there's Asda".

Complainants said the ad was offensive and sexist.

Asda remained firm however, saying that while a large number people might have felt that the ad was sexist, it was simply a fact that women do the lion's share of work at Christmas.

The ASA said that the TV ad was "not likely to be seen as condoning or encouraging harmful discriminatory behaviour, or reinforcing negative stereotypes of men or women in general, and, for those reasons, considered it was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence."

(H)

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