An ad branded sexist for suggesting parents should treat their daughters to an Easter egg as a reward for doing the washing-up has been pulled by the Co-op.
Seriously – the supermarket wanted its customers to treat their daughters not for being great, awesome, or kick-ass, but for doing the dishes.
Couldn't you have said 'child' rather than 'daughter' @coopukfood? #everydaysexism @EverydaySexism @Marketingweek Seen in today's @thetimes pic.twitter.com/OxnCcA1cI0
— Rebecca Aston (@Beckie_Aston) April 4, 2017
Kate Parker, who saw the advert in the London Evening Standard and posted on the Co-op’s Facebook page in protest, told the Press Association: “It annoyed me because the stereotyping was so lazy and so casually offensive.“Why did they assume a daughter would be washing-up? How easy would it have been to change that word to ‘kids’?“This advert would have had a marketing team, a production team, been financed, possibly have had executive approval etc, and yet not one person thought to ask: hang on, what message are we sending to young girls and boys?“Are we alienating any customers here?”The internet kicked off about it. Because, you know, it’s kind of out of line.
Kat Penkereverydaysexism. Come on The Co-op, surely you are better than this? You are proud of your Fairtrade status… this is one of the 10 stated principles of Fairtrade: Non-Discrimination, Gender Equity…
Maybe tomorrow's Co-op ad will suggest giving our sons an egg for washing the car? #casualsexism pic.twitter.com/wWosYPXYF4
— Kat (@katpenker) April 4, 2017
And then, as a direct result of people power, the Co-op caved and pulled the offending ad.
@Beckie_Aston @EverydaySexism We are proud of our organisation’s equality and diversity, we are sorry. We have changed the advert’s wording.
— Co-op Food (@coopukfood) April 4, 2017
The company said on Facebook and Twitter: “We are proud of our organisation’s equality and diversity, we are sorry. We have changed the advert’s wording.”It added the wording of the advert has been changed to: “A very special egg for a very special person.”