Wicked Campers’ latest ad watchdog breach raises stakes as state governments consider unified ban
The advertising watchdog’s latest ruling against serial offender Wicked Campers which found two of the company’s vans in Western Australia guilty of vilification, will see an increasing pressure for a national approach to de-register offending vehicles.
Both Tasmania and Queensland have already passed laws to deregister Wicked Vans if the company does not abide by ASB rulings with the latest ruling possibly leading to a united approach by state governments.
A source has told Mumbrella discussions between the Advertising Standards Bureau and New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria are ongoing, with Transport Ministers actively discussing passing similar legislation.
The ASB banned the vans for using the slogans “A wife: an attachment you screw on the bed to get the housework done” and “Behind every great woman is a man checking out her arse”.
Both vans were deemed as “rude and disgusting” and “humiliating and making fun of women”.
While Wicked Campers did not provide a response to the complaint, the Ad Standards Bureau said the advertisement on the van depicted material in a way which “discriminates” and “vilifies” a person.
“The Board noted that the advertisement suggests that men would be looking at a woman’s bottom and considered that this is also unfair or less favourable treatment as it suggests that men objectify women.”
Wicked Campers failed to provide a response to the ruling.
Abigail Dawson was Mumbrella's senior content journalist covering event content. She left Mumbrella to move into an agency role in 2020.
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Someone should slash the “artwork” and replace it with something akin to: desperate trust-funded caucasian loser sporting culturally misunderstood rastafarian dreadlocks who, over and above being a complete failure at almost every aspect of life, furthermore isn’t getting any, and probably won’t get any until he gets a job, even at 7-11 where they don’t actually pay you your due wages on time, and stops driving a camper van around the beach trying to be all ‘spiritual’.
You can top it off with a massive dong, in case they don’t understand any of the aforementioned (which is likely).
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the Advertising watchdog is pretty useless if it can’t shut rubbish like this down very quickly.
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Really deserve a tyre slashing campaign..
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It is. Contact your local MP and Senator Mitch Fiefield and demand that outdoor advertising isn’t a cowboy’s paradise, and either the ASB has enforcement powers or the ACCC takes over enforcement.
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