Wicked Campers falls foul of ad watchdog for seventh time in 2014
Wicked Campers has been censured by the ad watchdog for the seventh time this year for a slogan painted on its vans.
The Henry Rollins quote “Half of life is fucking up, the other half is dealing with it” was ruled to use language inappropriate for the side of a vehicle.
The Advertising Standards Board regularly rules against Wicked Campers messages, but has little power to change the brand’s behaviour because it does not support the industry’s self regulatory process.
Previous ASB rulings against Wicked Campers this year have included the slogans: “Get out ya tits and we’ll call it quits”, “Fat girls are harder to kidnap“, “Does your asshole ever get jealous of the shit that comes out of your mouth?”, “Shut the f#ck up Donny“, “God I’m Fucking Awesome” and “I was in fuckin’ Nirvana dude. Dave Grohl“.
Over the years Wicked Campers has also been found to have breached the ASB code on a number of racist, sexist and homophobic messages.
The most recent complaint to the ASB read: “I had children in my car who can read. The word ‘fucking’ is offensive and my children know that it is not appropriate for reasonable people to use the word in public. They were frightened to see it on a vehicle and wanted to call the police.”
Wicked Campers no longer responds to complaints to the ASB, which was noted by the board during the ruling.
The board said: “Most members of the community would agree that this is not appropriate language when used in the context of a slogan on the side of a moving vehicle able to be seen by a broad audience”. The complaint was upheld.
Miranda Ward
Some people might find those graffiti’d campervans funny, but in tourism value it doesn’t give this country a good image at all. Makes Australians look like foul-mouthed bogan slobs.
User ID not verified.
Kids of today and their fowl mouths! and don’t get me started on kids music of today! Those vans and the doof doof music that comes out of them.
Why, we fought and died in 4 world wars to protect our families from this sort of nonsense. We should stop tourists coming here and spreading their non-Aussie life choices. I bet most our crimes are committed by the people driving these vans.
User ID not verified.
“Wicked Campers has been censured by the ad watchdog for the seventh time this year for a slogan painted on its vans.”
Have they really been censured? I don’t think the ad watchdog has the power to do anything more effective than make loud repetitive noises.
User ID not verified.
What’s the record for this? They’ve got seven, are they aiming for eight, twelve, twenty? Clear, specific and measurable peoples!
User ID not verified.
Shut them down completely! Hate speech is illegal in Australia!
User ID not verified.
Hello!
Three days ago I wrote a post about Wicked Campers that’s gone viral.
I have also started a Change.org petition against the business.
I’ve been interviewed by ABC and Daily Mail, and Mamamia and the Good Men Project have written articles and that all just happened yesterday.
Three radio stations have called and I’m doing some live chats.
It has been incredibly overwhelming – the support has been amazing and strong.
Here is the post with the petition within it.
I hope we can actually do something about this issue and thought I would share it with you.
Thanks heaps,
Paula
http://questionsforus.com/2014.....ings-grow/
User ID not verified.
Chill a bit you old farts. Bet you are all poms.
User ID not verified.
GregH, actually I think you’ll find people just don’t like having to explain offensive pornographic messages displayed in public during daylight to children. Nothing to do with old age or country of birth at all…
User ID not verified.
I’m 29, and I’m not old. I think that the sick idiots who hire these vans must have crotch rot! No one who could possibly find humour in garbage like this could possibly be any good in bed. It’s like an open advertisement which pronounces that you’re an undeveloped loser – not a cool or wicked free thinker. So, if consideration of others is not reason enough (which it unfortunately isn’t for narcissistic morons with low IQ’s), then the possibility that perfectly lovely ladies won’t touch you with a ten foot pole should be. On second thought, keep them on the roads. Quick value judgements can save a lot of time now days.
User ID not verified.
Well said Cass, LW,Matthew,Doug and Concerned. I agree and as for GregH,he’s obviously just an ignoramus tool.
User ID not verified.