Advertiser that urges fuel-stealing, fine-dodging and ‘snogging an aboriginal’ censured
A series of ads by a camper van hire company – including one urging customers to “snog an aboriginal” have fallen foul of Australia’s Advertising Standards Board.
The three most recent Wicked Campers ads to be censured by the ASB are:
A brochure that included the words:
“Other reasons: Waking up at the beach having uninterrupted sex every morning, all night parties, loads of room for goon bags, get pissed on by a koala, box a kangaroo, kill your dinner with a boomerang, eat roadkill, free fuel (siphon hose not included), massages with happy endings, free camping at Wolf Creek, romantic alfresco dining, deep and meaningful conversations, snog an aboriginal, score a speeding ticket you never have to pay….plus you can get shit-faced all the time while never missing a sunset!”
When the ASB looked into a complaint, Wicked Campers told it:
We do not believe for one minute that this ‘advert’ is promoting anti-social behaviour, it’s simply encouraging young travellers to make the most of their stay in Australia and support local Australian businesses financially by spending there money on all of the cool things to do while in Australia. In relation to the quote, ‘snog an aboriginal,’ I am not sure how this can be considered as racist or the vilification of a race at all. Is the complainant saying that they wouldn’t snog an Aboriginal? Why not? Surely that is racist in itself and the vilification of a race?!”
The ASB said it noted “the references in the advertisement to not paying speeding tickets, stealing petrol and suggestions of excessive alcohol consumption, and considered that these references were not appropriate as they suggested and encouraged activities that would be considered to be in breach of prevailing community standards of health and safety.”
The second upheld complaint was about an ad in the Irish Echo Australia featuring two copulating kangaroos. According to the ASB:
“The Kangaroos each have a speech bubble. The male Kangaroo is depicted as saying “Do you like it in your AVIS?” The female is depicted as saying “Yes, but it really HERTZ!”
But Wicked Campers claimed: “It doesn’t actually mean anything offensive and to be construed in such a way simply points to the dirty mind of the complainant.”
The ASB said that it had previously considered the copulating kangaroos – which are a regular feature of Wicked Campers’ ads – and determined that using the image did not breach the code. But it ruled: “The Board considered that this text was suggestive of anal intercourse and that this was inappropriate in a magazine advertisement and was not a sexual reference that treated with sensitivity to the relevant audience.”
And the third upheld complaint was over the signage on a Wicked Campers van which read: ““I NEVER THINK ABOUT GAY SEX….LIKE FUCK”.
Wicked Campers said it had changed the last two words to “YEAH RIGHT”.
The ASB said: “The Board noted that it is required to consider the form of the advertisement at the time of the complaint. The Board considered that the phrase used on the van was offensive, strong and obscene language, was not used in any humorous or otherwise mitigating manner”.
Several other new complaints against Wicked Campers were not upheld. They included one about a message on a sign painted on a van that read: ““Sex is one of the most wholesome, beautiful and natural experiences money can buy,” accompanied by cartoons of animals in suggestive positions.
The rulings raise a question over the industry’s ability to self regulate non mainstream advertiser. In recent years, the ASB has considered around 20 complaints against Wicked Campers, but has struggled to issue a meaningful sanction, as the brand constantly changes its creative.
A current campaign being used by Wicked Campers sees it using naked photographs of its customers, who pose in exchange for a free day’s rental.
Although the brand mainly uses print advertising, this is a previous example of a homemade Wicked Campers TVC:
inappropriate indeed. Australians end up having the worst possible image in the world, rude, rough, bad mouth, drunk, sex crazed and the most unsophisticated western world country in the world! I am still not sure how I ended up here!
this “ad” is ugly and distasteful
Has “Just worried” actually traveled OS? On every continent except Antarctica, I’ve found locals have the greatest difficulty tolerating Americans. They’re all the above adjectives, plus they’re culturally insensitive! Aussies and the English are generally considered similarly debauched, except in India where we have Colonialism in common.
Before throwing “unsophisticated” rocks in your glass house, perhaps you should re-read a sentence that ends with “western world country in the world!”
Hahaha unfortunately that is some of the funniest copywriting I have ever read. I feel slightly ashamed admitting it, though..
I would think this says more about Wicked and the kind of market they would like to attract rather than Australians. The Australian element in this is merely locating the business’ origins, which can be beneficial to capture some overseas markets.
I don’t get it. If they were selling porn or hookers they would be able to advertise in Zoo in the back pages with equally as dirty copy and images. An ad shouldn’t be judged as “inappropriate” against other advertisers in their category, it should be about who they’re targeting and where they are placing the material. In other words, it should be judged in context of the audience rather than the product. In which case, you have to admit that they hit the nail on the head with their ads!
I personally like the fact that Australians know how to take the piss out of ourselves and Wicked aren’t BS’ing anyone – they’re giving backpackers and uni students exactly what they want and telling them exactly what they want to hear.
What happened to us assuming the people reading our ads had half a brain and could tell the difference between a bit of a laugh and an instruction to steal fuel and not pay parking tickets??
“Is the complainant saying that they wouldn’t snog an Aboriginal? Why not? Surely that is racist in itself and the vilification of a race?!”
It’s old hat to quote Bill Hicks regarding the best career move for marketing bods, but it’s really appropriate in this case. Did they hire Bart Simpson to draft that reply?
Hey everyone,
Leanne from Wicked Campers here. We’ve actually finished the Naked special and brought out The Michael Jackson special – anyone who moonwalks into our depot dressed as Michael Jackson will get their first day of hire for free!
We do like to take the piss, have a bit of fun andf not take life too seriously, we never intend to insult or hurt anyone with our advertisements/van designs, nor try to reinforce any perceptions of Aussies being bad-mouth or sex-crazed. A lot of our vans are quite tame – its just that no-one ever talks/blogs/complains about them!
“we never intend to insult or hurt anyone with our advertisements/van designs…”
Leanne, you are kidding, right? If your company wants to position itself as “shocking” then fine, but at least have the balls to admit that your vans are designed to be offensive purely for the shock value. You can’t send vans out on the road covered in words like “fuck” and “cock” then say “oh gee, but we don’t mean to insult anyone…”
Your quote that “A lot of our vans are quite tame…” infers that some of them are not.
Your marketing methods cause great embarrassment to most members of the public, especially to parents trying to explain tricky questions from children after they see one of your vans.
But I guess, as long as it brings in customers, that’s not your problem.
It’s so over the top and riddiculous, that it works. Love Wicked Campers work
It’s one thing for Wicked to be claiming they’re all about sex and rebellion and taking the piss, but it is nauseating when this ‘party culture’ morphs into direct, unabashed racism. The copy included the phrase “snog an aboriginal” effectively setting Indigenous people apart from those who might be renting campervans, classifying them as un-snoggable and by implication, repulsive. It is a damning and appalling thing for them to say, not defensible by resorting to any claims of party-animal, fun-loving, pro-sex, naughty etc schick. It is plain, revolting racism and it is sad.
You don’t think that by saying “snog an aboriginal” they meant “get a real aussie experience and snog one of our native Australian’s”? I find it hard to believe that a company that deals daily with different races and nationalities and in fact owes their business to people wanting to experience the Australian culture would intentionally make a racist comment. I think this is a case of “intellectuals” looking too far into a comment which was supposed to be fun and not hurtful.
get over it – seriuosly
I reckon you all need to toughen up.