Sunday, July 20, 2008

Backpacker vans ditch sexist slogans

A campervan company has agreed to ditch sexist slogans aimed at the backpacker market.

The Advertising Standards Board has upheld complaints over slogans painted on the company's vehicles that claim "if God was a woman, sperm would taste like chocolate" and "women are like banks - once you withdraw you lose interest".

Advertising Standards Bureau chief executive officer Alison Abernethy said Wicked Campers will remove the slogans which the board deemed offensive.

"The board considered the slogans to be misogynistic and demeaning to women and that they served to commodify women and could not be considered humorous or acceptable," Ms Abernethy said.

The board did not rule on four other complaints because it lacked visual evidence the slogans existed.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh was among the complainants and last week she lodged a further complaint over the slogan "Save a Whale - Harpoon a Jap" which she labelled racist.

"The advertiser has listened to community concerns and will remove the slogans which are causing offence," Ms Abernethy said.

"In agreeing to comply with the board's decision and remove the slogans, the advertiser has agreed to not use the same slogan on other vans in the company's fleet."

The Advertising Standards Bureau administers the complaints system through its Advertising Standards Board.

Comment is being sought from Wicked Campers.

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