There was a bit of an advertising flavour on Network 10’s Trial By Kyle last night, as Ultra Tune CEO Sean Buckley took the stand to defend his company’s controversial ads.
Buckley appeared on the Judge Judy-esque show, as ‘grassroots social activist’ Venessa sought to have the ads, which feature convicted rapist Mike Tyson and controversial actor Charlie Sheen, removed from TV.
While the ads have been widely-condemned and have attracted numerous complaints, both the Mike Tyson and Charlie Sheen spots have been cleared by the advertising watchdog.
“I’m sorry but sex may sell, but sexism does not,” said Venessa.
Venessa called former Ultra Tune ‘rubber girl’ Jasmin Rainbow to the stand as a witness, who appeared in the Tyson TVC.
Rainbow claimed Buckley has “a really negative outlook towards women”.
“The first thing he did when he hired me from a strip club – like he hires all his girls – was tell me my tits were too small,” she said.
Buckley also recalled his first meeting with Rainbow
“I did meet her at a strip club, we had a friendship, I thought she was very beautiful, I thought she was great for the ads, I thought she did a great job on the ads,” he said.
Buckley also explained the target audience for the ads is “mainly males”.
Another rubber girl, Parnia Porsche, also appeared on the show, claiming she had always enjoyed her time working with Ultra Tune.
“I love it,” she said about Ultra Tune, “I feel like it’s empowering to me because if you watch all the commercials, even though there is a man that comes and saves the day, sometimes, I feel like we always come out on top, and that’s empowering to us.”
Buckley revealed that the next ad will feature a female protagonist.
While it is unlikely he would have had the authority to have the ads removed, Sandilands did rule in favour of Ultra Tune, stating “the Advertising Standards Board has ruled that the ads are not offensive, and I like the ads, so they won’t be getting removed from the television screens”.
Although Ultra Tune was found not guilty in Sandilands’s fictional court, the court of public opinion seemingly ruled against Ultra Tune following the stunt.
https://twitter.com/jwyeNFL/status/1192389242522963970
#Ultratune CEO Sean thought going on #trialbykyle was a good idea? I will never give him my business
— Penny (@pennyfortheguy) November 7, 2019
TrashTv is my vice…but watching the #ultratune CEO on #TrialByKyle tonight…. nothing but an icky feeling 🤢 I know where we won’t be taking our business 😟
— Zoë 📸 🖤 (@ThatsSoZo) November 7, 2019
