The Advertising Standards Board has dismissed complaints about an ad featuring a bikini clad woman pulling a burger out of a bag placed between her legs and sucking sauce off her finger, ruling the ad does not objectify women.
The ad by newly imported American burger chain Carl’s Jr aired on free-to-air television during the Big Bash League cricket matches, carrying an ‘M’ classification.
The TV viewers who complained to the advertising watchdog claimed the ad objectified women, with one person also saying they were forced to explain the advertisement to their young sons while watching the cricket.
“My boys questioned what the woman was doing on the Carl Jr advertisement and I was terribly uncomfortable trying to explain why this company was selling burgers this way,” the complainant said.
In the ad, the actress in a white bikini on a beach is seen to pull a burger from a bag between her legs. She is then seen eating the burger, sticking her finger into it and sucking off the sauce from her finger.
The female voiceover accompanying the ad says: “To look this hot in a bikini I have to give up almost everything. But there’s no way I’m giving up my Carl’s Jr Western Bacon Cheeseburger”.
The sauce from the burger is then seen to drip onto her breasts, followed by the model continuing to suck her finger.
“This is the first time I have made a complaint, but in a time of unprecedented violence towards women, I cannot believe we are being subjected to this horrendous objectification of women,” one complainant said.
“The content is inappropriate for young people to be exposed to – especially young boys who are watching the cricket,” another added.
Carl’s Jr responded to the complaints by saying the advertisement was run early at 9.03pm instead of 9.30pm through an accidental error. The company said it has now taken the M-rated advertisement off air, creating a replacement PG version of the ad instead.
Although a minority of the board considered the initial M-rated advertisement did exploit and degrade women, the majority of board members said burgers are messy to eat and that if someone is eating a burger while wearing a bikini, it is “quite likely” for sauce to drip onto their body.
Lindsay Brennan, general manager of Ostaford Pty Ltd, the parent company of the first Australian Carl’s Jr franchise, told SmartCompany the company stands by its advertising.
“We respect everyone’s opinion and everyone is entitled to their opinion,” he says.
“We don’t apologise for the advertising, it’s cutting edge.”
Brennan says this first Aussie Carl’s Jr advertising campaign is in line with the US giant’s advertising strategy, which is targeted at males aged 18-35.
“We did do a modified version [of the ad] because we do respect people’s opinions,” he says.
The first and currently only Australian Carl’s Jr outlet opened in Bateau Bay in New South Wales this month.
Brennan says the company is committed to opening 10 restaurants in the next five to 10 years around the NSW region of Hornsby to Coffs Harbour.
Ronelle Richards is a former SmartCompany journalist. She is currently studying a Masters of Journalism at The University of Melbourne and has previously worked as a journalist and photographer at rural newspapers.
