Update- Win! Bakers Delight has advised the poster will be pulled from stores.
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Yesterday we shared a Bakers Delight ad depicting two tween age girls bound and gagged to promote lemon tarts. The photo was sent to us by a supporter, who saw the image at Currambine Central shopping centre in Perth.
The chilling image portrays two frightened girls bound with Christmas tree lights and their mouths stuffed with tarts, alongside the slogan "Silent nights".
It trivialises the serious issue of the abuse and torture of children. Did Bakers Delight consider how survivors of child abuse might feel about this promotion?
This has gone beyond a joke about quieting noisy children with sweets. It normalises the stereotype of ‘noisy’ women who need to be silenced, in this case with food shoved in their mouths. What were they thinking?
After we shared the image on social media, supporters responded to disturbing image.
Sent to us by a supporter- a chilling image of two frightened girls bound with Christmas lights and their mouths stuffed with tarts alongside the slogan "Silent nights".
— Collective Shout (@CollectiveShout) November 7, 2020
What is @bakersdelight thinking? pic.twitter.com/IXq4Ll8uCq
Frightened looking tween girls essentially bound and gagged to sell lemon tarts? Is your marketing team made up of misogynists @bakersdelight? pic.twitter.com/oWI4TCbnJH
— Caitlin Roper (@caitlin_roper) November 7, 2020
@BakersDelight flogging Xmas lemon tarts through making fun of deprivation of liberty + denial of speech for women/girls. #notnuyingit #vaw pic.twitter.com/lyZkX2Jw1E
— Melinda TankardReist (@MelTankardReist) November 7, 2020
I would love to hear your justification for this abysmal advertising @bakersdelight. Out of all the creative possibilities available to promote your product THIS is what you landed on!? Since when was tying up and gagging children something we could make light of? #TakeItDown https://t.co/rQM6gNez7y
— Renee K. Chopping (@reneechopping) November 7, 2020
This is mental @bakersdelight Abuse of women and girls is a massive societal problem in Australia and not your humorous advertising opportunity. This is not cute or sweet, these are young girls fearful, deliberately bound and silenced with a ‘tart’ subtext. Remove it.
— Roxane Lawler (@RoxaneLawler) November 7, 2020
How the heck is tying up young girls (with live electrical wires no less), and gagging them to silence them, an acceptable way to sell anything @bakersdelight #bakersdelight ?
— nerdydad (@nerdydad1) November 7, 2020
Hey @bakersdelight - want to know what predators see in an image of little girls tied up with Christmas lights? A sex abuse fantasy. Dump this campaign now. #MyBakersDelight #notdelighted https://t.co/knSmj5EBSt pic.twitter.com/tbi93Oks8R
— LSKennedy (@LSKennedy5) November 7, 2020
This is pretty sick. How many people did this concept pass through before it got to execution? Unbelievable. @bakersdelight are repeat offenders. No creativity or imagination. Just pure misogyny. #NotBuyingIt https://t.co/LsKxAGj2nG
— Coralie Alison (@CoralieAlison) November 7, 2020
A lot of money is put into advertising. Designs for ad campaigns don’t happen by accident. #BakersDelight #NotDelighted https://t.co/R61j5nsjRu
— Melinda (@MelLiszewski) November 8, 2020
Selling tarts with an image of two young girls bonded--again, to sell little tarts? Have you gone cracked @bakersdelight? I mean aside from the gross perv aspect, it's also child abuse.
— Jessica (@jessvarii) November 7, 2020
@bakersdelight what the hell is wrong with you??? What a revolting image you are peddling! Is kidnapping a joke? Is children in bondage cute to you? Absolutely appalling!
— Billy Sipowitz (@BillSipowitz) November 7, 2020
I wonder what those girls took away with them after that photo shoot? ‘It’s funny to tie girls up and shove food in their mouths to shut them up’? ‘The people said I looked good when I pulled that terrified expression’?
— Lee (@GreenPea123) November 7, 2020
A history of ads sexualising and mocking breast cancer survivors
We have previously called out Bakers Delight for their advertising that sexualises and trivialises breast cancer. Using the language of sexual harassment and objectifying double entendres, Bakers Delight referred to breasts as "fun buns" and encouraged women to "get their buns out".
So far, Bakers Delight has remained silent. Let them know what you think of this ad.
Take action
Contact them on Facebook, via their website, or Twitter.
See also:
Bakers Delight advertisement slammed as trivialising child abuse- Daily Mail
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