ASB clears Airbnb of ‘borderline sexualisation’ after equality ad airs during children’s show
The Advertising Standards Board has cleared Airbnb’s ‘Until We all Belong’ ad, after a complaint suggested it targeted children in a way that was “clearly unacceptable” and “borderline sexualisation.”
Airbnb’s equality campaign sees Australians trying on The Acceptance Ring – an incomplete ring symbolising the gap in marriage equality Australia needs to close.
The ad features people of different genders and ethnicities making pledges to wear the Ring until a time when marriage equality is passed as law.
The campaign was made by Clemenger BBDO Melbourne.
A complainant, who saw the ad on a subscription service children’s channel, said: “I do not approve of gay marriage and feel the deliberate targeting of children 3-7 clearly unacceptable and borderline sexualisation, not to mention my child’s adverse reaction.
“If they want to run these ads fine run them on adult ratings (which they don’t seem to except Sky News) so this campaign is very deliberate and sick and most of all I pay a lot to then be disrespected like this…. what’s next????”
The complainant argued Airbnb was in breach of 8 sections of the Australian Association of National Advertisers’ Code.
Airbnb fought back saying the ad did not contain anyone “scantily clad or nude” people, nor did it encourage discrimination or vilification.
“The advertisement has been classified by CAD and given a ‘G’ rating. The complainant mentions the advertisement was seen on the family channel and was following the movie Ice Age, which has a higher rating of ‘PG'” Airbnb said.
The accomodation-sharing website argued the ad did not discriminate or vilify any individual, did not contain depictions of sexuality or sexual imagery, and did not endanger the safety of a child.
Airbnb also hit back saying the advertisement did not frighten or distress children, but rather advocated “friendship” and “inclusion.”
The Board noted the complainant’s concerns the advertisement was sexualised and that discussions of same sex marriage were not appropriate, especially for children.
While the ASB accepted some members of the community might be uncomfortable with the ad’s theme of marriage equality, it was not the Board’s role to argue whether a social issue should be depicted on an advertisement, only how it was depicted.
Based on a similar case for Unilever’s Magnum ad, which saw two women getting married, The Board said the Code did not prohibit references to same-sex relationships and homosexuality.
Noting concerns of sexualisation, The Board said the language used was factual and there was no mention of sex or sexual activity.
It also said the ad treated the issue of same-sex relationships with “sensitivity for a broad audience which would include children.”
The ASB dismissed the complaint.
It is unsafe for children to watch even the “children’s television’ channels. I am glad that I don’t own a tv in my house so that my children are safe from all the social filth being thrust on our children. I wouldn’t trust government agencies to tell us what is safe or not because they have no moral compass. The public are fast losing confidence in our public service.
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Imagine attending a wedding and thinking that it was “borderline sexualisation”. Imagine if you thought that every time a friend became engaged it was “sexual”. Some people have sex on their minds. I worry for them.
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You seem to agree with the complainant. What’s your actual problem with the ad? Is it just that it exposed children to the idea of gay marriage or that it explicitly supported gay marriage? What harm does it do to kids to see such an ad? Would you find an ad against gay marriage to be unacceptable for the same audience?
To me this ad looks like the tamest thing ever. The only bit I find distasteful is how Airbnb is trying to put their brand on a political/human rights issue.
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Well done Airbnb.
This is an entirely appropriate social issue for them: they’ve been uncovering humanity’s prejudices through measuring the racism of hosts on the platform (http://time.com/money/4144426/.....t-harvard/).
I’d love to see the same study done on homophobia – when I’ve openly requested a room with my girlfriend, I haven’t been accepted by hosts.
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For me personally I find it disgusting that some people seem so insistent on preaching HATE to children. The message of this ad is acceptance, a message I whole heatedly support.
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You are a very sad person.
Religion has wrought more damage on children than TV ever has or ever will.
Despite that I respect your right to your beliefs. I wish you did the same unto others. Everyone should have the right to marriage.
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Just to make a point for those who seem to think that “sex” is a word which can be used or ignored as the individual argument may require.
Marriage equality means the equality of sexual orientation, marriage is about sexuality and so (in the romantic sense) is so called love. It is entirely appropriate to think of sex when two people get engaged or married, because the overwhelming number of those who do, are sexually attracted, and wish to secure that relationship in marriage; “engaged” is short for “engaged to be married.”
All these ads are simply exercises in grandstanding, showing the world that there are politically right thinking people out there, and guess what? the name behind the ad is one, or a group of them.
The NO sayers, and the political push have no chance of crushing what is inevitable, this whole debate is a wast of money, time and effort.
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