The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an online dating advertisement for promoting sexist and negative gender stereotypes.
- Complaints were raised against an ad from Seeking.com, depicting an older man selecting younger women, posted on Reddit.
- The ASA determined the ad portrayed harmful stereotypes of women’s value being tied to youth and physical appearance.
- Seeking.com defended the ad as humorous, claiming it was directed and written by women and not intended to offend.
- The ad was removed and Seeking.com agreed to comply with the ASA’s guidelines to avoid future stereotypes.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received several complaints regarding an online dating advertisement by Seeking.com that was perceived as portraying sexist and negative gender stereotypes. Seeking.com, a US-based dating service, posted this advertisement on Reddit.
The ad depicted an older businessman discarding a photo of a woman in favour of four younger women dressed in bikinis and concluded with the message: ‘Date on Seeking.com. JOIN FREE…4:1 women to men in real life’.
The ASA assessed that the video promoted harmful stereotypes suggesting women’s contributions are limited to youth and physical attraction. The ad was therefore found in violation of advertising standards due to its portrayal of gender stereotypes.
Seeking.com argued that their advertisement aimed to humorously reflect their dating service dynamics, asserting it was both written and directed by female creators. They maintained that it was not intended to be interpreted as sexist or derogatory.
Despite this defence, the ASA ruled against the advertisement. The regulator emphasised that ads must not perpetuate stereotypes that restrict the roles and contributions of individuals based on gender.
Seeking.com consented to the ruling and removed the offending advertisement. The company acknowledged the ASA’s decision and committed to ensuring future advertising does not feature similar stereotypes.
The ASA has been actively enforcing guidelines against sexism in advertising since 2019, a shift that has led to the banning of several high-profile advertisements.
The action by the ASA underscores the importance of advertising responsibility and the need to avoid perpetuating harmful stereotypes.
