SPC's latest advert for its Fruit Cup range has received a barrage of complaints for showing “repeated bludgeoning and stabbing” of fruit, but the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB)has dismissed claims that the ad was using “graphic violence” to sell its products.
The ad shows ordinary Australians struggling to eat fruit with a montage of an overflowing blender, a man trying to karate chop open a coconut and a child splitting watermelon with a cricket bat, to a backing track of viral internet video-turned-song “ain't nobody got time for that”.
While the action might be constrained to opening fruit, the ASB received a number of complaints concerned about the violence in the ad.
“I was offended by the TV commercial as it suggested a level of unnecessary violence,” a complainant said.
“There was repeated bludgeoning and stabbing of objects that suggested violence which I believe unnecessary – and in one particular scene was being delivered by a child - particularly as this is just a fruit ad.”
Another said: “I feel in the current violent climate we do not need to be seeing ineffective advertising using graphic violence - mainly the knife and the rock melon and the boy with a cricket bat.
“I appreciate good advertising and this is not it.”
Other complainants took issue with the “misleading” tagline of the commercial which said it is “the best way to eat fruit”.
“My complaint with this commercial lies in the fact that it is misleading,” the complainant said.
“It is manipulation of truth and gives the message that packaged fruit, preserved in sugar, is the best way to eat it, when it is not.
“I am disappointed every day at the way marketing is aimed at children, to manipulate them into making unhealthy choices. They don't know any better; they are simply choosing what is appealing and what tastes best.
“However just because SPC tastes good, doesn't mean it is best or a replacement for real raw fruit.”
In response, SPC Ardmona said the ad is not violent as it is intended to be light hearted.
“We respectfully maintain that the advertisement’s focus is on the convenience of packaged fruit,” SPC said.
“The advertisement does so in a light-hearted manner that highlights the various challenges that non-packaged fruit can present. It is in this context that the tagline 'the best way to fruit' is presented.”
The ASB board dismissed all of the complaints noting that the ad was aimed at the main grocery buyer and while may appeal to children, was not directed at them.
“The board noted that the advertisement is highlighting a message of convenience and a comparison between the conveniences of packaged fruit products versus fresh fruit,” the ASB said.
“The board noted the end text that states 'the best way to fruit’ and considered that the advertisement was not suggesting that packaged fruit is better than fresh but that the ‘best’ aspect is its convenience.
“The board noted that watermelons are a difficult fruit to open and considered that the use of the bat to carry out this activity is likely to be something that was approved by an adult and considered that the action is not aggressive or specifically aimed at a person and was meant to appear fun and light hearted.
Leo Burnett is SPC's creative agency of record.
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