According to Mumbrella infamous car rental company Wicked Campers has had one of its ads banned yet again for using an “insensitive” and “inappropriate” slogan, “Girl sits on judges lap and gets a honorable [sic] discharge”.
Ad Standards said despite there being no accompanying image on the van, the tagline used was a sexual connotation and suggested a power imbalance between a judge and a girl.
A complaint posting to Ad Standards said: “This sort of stuff alludes to and trivialises sexual assault in a very insensitive way – after all, the judge, like Weinstein, has all of the power, and this joke makes light of the fact that such power is used for sexual gratification, likely at someone else’s expense.
I can’t really see why or how a car hire company would find this to be a good joke.”
The board agreed with the complaint concluding the word ‘girl’ referred to a young woman or female child and the term ‘judge’ alludes to an older, usually male, authority figure.
The suggestion of a girl sitting on a male judge’s lap resulting in ‘discharge’ was a sexual connotation that was inappropriate,” the Board said upholding the complaint.
Wicked Campers did not provide a response to the ruling but Ad Standards said it would continue to work with relevant authorities regarding the ongoing issue of non-compliance.
Tasmania, ACT and Queensland have now already passed laws to deregister Wicked Vans if the company does not abide by ASB rulings.
Read the full article here
Read the history on Wicked Campers here
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The remaining states must update their legislation to be in line with Tasmania, ACT and Queensland. Write to your MP and ask them to take action.
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