‘Menacing and threatening’ ad condemned by ad watchdog for using domestic violence against men to sell hearing aids
The advertising watchdog has denounced a “menacing and threatening” television commercial advertising hearing aids for its depiction of domestic violence towards men.
The ‘What your mum wants for Mother’s Day’ 15-second TV ad features a woman trying to open a jar while yelling at her husband for help. When her husband fails to reply because he cannot hear, the ad freezes while she insinuates she is going to throw the jar in his direction.
‘What your mum wants for Mother’s Day’ finishes with the slogan “Get your mum what she really wants for Mother’s Day, a hearing test for your dad”.
The Clarity Hearing Solutions ad was deemed unjustifiable in the context of a hearing solution by the Advertising Standards Board.
“The Board noted the serious community concern relating to domestic violence and violence in general and considered that the advertisement did not portray violence in a manner that was justifiable in the context of a hearing solution.
“The suggested humour was not very strong. In the Board’s view, the overall tone was one that was menacing and threatening,” the ASB stated.
Clarity Hearing Solutions stood by the Mother’s Day advertisement saying, “We find it incredulous that someone could take offence at this ad” and the script had light-hearted intentions.
“When scripting and workshopping it within our team, and sharing the script and even the final product, not one person raised an issue thinking that this in any way depicted domestic violence either as a depiction or as a suggestion.
“The woman, while being seen to lift her hand to throw the jar, is not seen throwing the jar. There is no injury inflicted. Nor is the threat made to the man in the ad itself either. It’s a visual show of frustration behind his back. The movement illustrates and reflects the frustration often felt by significant others,” the company rebutted.
“We do take this complaint very seriously. Domestic violence is a big issue in Australia and we certainly did not intend in any way to make light or take advantage of it. Some commentators have stated that we did it to get attention or to be renegade. We hope anyone who has seen the ad can tell that was not the intent. Depicting the frustration felt by the loved ones of people with hearing loss is difficult but important in allowing all parties to understand that hearing loss not only affects the person with the loss but also the people around them. In this instance the ASB feels we got it wrong and we will certainly abide by that decision.”
The company also suggested its budget was tight and the whole ad, including production and air time, only cost $3,500.
The ad ran for 13 days leading up to Mother’s Day and was cancelled on the May 13, one day after the complaint and when the advertisement was due to finish airing.
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The ASB recognizes that women can commit domestic violence??? OMG, feminists going nuts in 3…2….1…
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Incredulous? Really? Domestic violence is a massive hot-button social issue and you put in an ad that – and let’s not kid ourselves here – the ad alludes to a woman about to throw the jar at her unsuspecting husband’s head? At this stage it’s a bit of a cliche, but: I wonder if they would still find it incredulous to be offended by the ad if the it depicted a man about to throw that jar at a woman?
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He can hear her OK
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Political correctness once again drags everyone down to languish with the lowest common denominator.
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Production and air time only $3,500? Did they shoot it on their iPhone?
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this would have been so much funnier if she’d clocked him
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The angst created by constantly having to shout, repeat oneself, and to struggle with simple actions or requests for assistance, can and do lead to, not domestic violence, but the desire to throw something, anything at the floor or the wall, or yes, the other person’s head.
This is the kind of humor that goes with “I will kill that kid if he doesn’t shut up,” “I warn you if I get my hands on you I will strangle you” etc.
It is just that in the case of this ad, the old problem of misdirection has caused the intent to tip over the edge. This is a strong example of a misunderstanding of theatre, where an attempt has been made to create reality, and the emotion has been allowed to overpower the intent.
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No they wouldn’t, because of course men can’t be victims of domestic violence. /s I’m glad they made that ruling, it’s a step towards equality.
The other reason I’m amazed they used the word incredulous: you don’t find something incredulous, you *are* incredulous. You would find it *incredible*.
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I just don’t think he likes strawberry jam
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Yes, in the animated cartoon world that would have been the expected outcome. the animated cartoon has freed itself from the constraints of legitimate theatre, via the use of drawn images, and a technique known as the plausible impossible. Characters get struck on the head, the head cracks and falls to the ground, the body staggers around for a while and then falls over, and the head is quickly reshaped and reunited with the body, in time for the character to make some witty or retaliatory remark.
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@Richard – I’m actually not sure if you’re being serious. I hope not. The simple test to apply here is whether the ad would be deemed offensive if the genders are reversed.
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“Domestic violence is a big issue in Australia and we certainly did not intend in any way to make light or take advantage of it.” OK – so what were you doing ?
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@Gezza – Sorry I am absolutely serious.Gender reversal as a way of defining domestic violence, is prejudiced and oversimplified. Violence is violence no matter what the gender role, match or mix.
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The producers of the ad were more than likely attempting to make an age old joke into a moment of sketch humor. The problem comes when theatre is treated, as many dilettantes do, like an exercise in reality, the emotion and the intent become confused, as they have in this example
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