Ice-Cream Ad Did Not Promote Lesbianism, Says Ad Standards Board

Ice-Cream Ad Did Not Promote Lesbianism, Says Ad Standards Board
B&T Magazine
By B&T Magazine



An ad for Magnum ice cream, that showed two women getting married, has been cleared by the Advertising Standards Board (ASB) after complaints it promoted “lesbianism during family time”.

The ad was part of the ice-cream brand’s ‘Pleasure is Diverse’ and pro-equality campaign and shows a woman preparing for her wedding day, before walking down the aisle to meet her wife-to-be. Check out the ad below:

However, some weren’t happy with the sexual nature of the ad, complaining: “Promotion of lesbianism during family viewing time. I know this will not be taken seriously as ramming this down our throats now happens daily.”

Magnum creators Unilever have dismissed the complaint and in a statement to the ASB said the imagery was in line with prevailing community standards “which treat gender and sexual preference fairly, impartially and tolerantly.”

“The complainant may regard homosexuality and homosexual acts as being contrary to his/her religious or ethical beliefs,” the Unilever statement said.

“The advertisement, in particular the wedding and kissing scene, is not portrayed in a humorous over-the-top way, it was filmed in a cinematic way and shows a serious depiction of a wedding ceremony.

“Consumers viewing the advertisement are not being prejudiced or treated or portrayed unjustly or unfairly by the imagery in the wedding scene.”

The ASB noted that the issues around same-sex marriage were treated sensitively and dismissed the complaint.

In its findings, the ASB said: “The Board noted that the advertisement depicts a same sex marriage which is not currently legal in Australia but considered that it is not the Board’s role to say whether a particular issue or scenario can or should be depicted in an advertisement.”




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