OPSM ‘4 eyes’ ad cleared of promoting discrimination
The ad standards board has cleared an OPSM ad which uses the hashtag #Iam4eyes of promoting bullying for children not wearing glasses from the opticians.
OPSM launched a video campaign encouraging children to be confident in wearing their glasses earlier this year, using the hashtag to show how ‘ridiculous’ the insult is. It deatures several children talking about their experiences of wearing glasses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=122&v=7mP00QmMYnQ
However one complainant to the Ad Standards Board claimed OPSM was attempting to blackmail parents into buying their children’s glasses from them:
I object to the suggestions of the ad. That a child without a particular brand of glasses will be bullied. Bulling [sic] is a very topical topic and many parents are understandably concerned for their children’s welfare however they shouldn’t be essentially blackmailed into purchasing OPSM glasses.
“Furthermore there is no evidence that having OPSM glasses will prevent a child from being bullied; this ad may even worsen the situation for children without designer glasses. It seems overly irresponsible.”
In a lengthy rebuttal of the complaint OPSM defended the video ad OPSM saying its only paid placement for the video was on the Mamamia website, aimed at adult women, and on its own website which would be unusual for children to be browsing.
It added: “The OPSM video advertisement is intended to be an empowering and responsible advertisement directed primarily at adults to start conversations and provoke discussion reflecting contemporary attitudes about bullying.”
Dismissing the complaint the board concluded: “The Board considered that the phrase ‘4 eyes’ is no longer part of the common vernacular and is unlikely to be reintroduced as a result of this campaign.
“Overall the Board considered that the young people featured in the advertisement were embracing the fact they wear glasses and the advertisement did not suggest that children who do not wear OPSM glasses would or should be bullied.”
