ASA wipes out cleaning ad showing harmful gender stereotypes

The Advertising Standards Authority (the “ASA”) upheld a complaint against John Mills Ltd t/a JML Direct for their advertising of the Hurricane Spin Scrubber, as it presented gender stereotypes likely to cause harm.

The Advertisement:

The TV advertisement (the “ad”) for JML's Hurricane Spin Scrubber, aired on 7 January 2024, featured women using the cleaning tool in various household areas. The women shared their positive experiences with the scrubber, one of them mentioning gifting it to her mother. The ad featured both a male and female host, with the male host explaining the product and demonstrating its function. The ad concluded with a male voice-over encouraging viewers to purchase the Hurricane Spin Scrubber by calling or visiting jmldirect.com.

The complainant, who believe the ad reinforced harmful gender stereotypes by depicting only women in a stereotypically female role and implying that only women clean or are interested in cleaning, challenged whether the ad breached BCAP Code rule 4.14.

JML’s Response:

JML stated it had updated its advertising following a 2021 ASA ruling against it, which found that gender stereotypes had been presented in a way that was likely to cause harm in a previous ad for the Hurricane Spin Scrubber. JML argued that the new ad, featuring a male presenter using the product, provided better gender balance.

Clearcast said that the new ad complied with the CAP and BCAP "Advertising Guidance on depicting gender stereotypes likely to cause harm or serious or widespread offence." It noted that the women's testimonials focused solely on product functionality, without mentioning taking pride in the appearance of their house or cleaning up after others. At no point did the ad imply that cleaning the home was the responsibility of a particular gender.

The Ruling:

The ASA upheld the ruling as the ad presented gender stereotypes likely to cause harm.

While the ASA acknowledged that the women's testimonials were related to the product's functions, it noted numerous shots of women cleaning or holding the product. The ASA also highlighted that the only readily identifiable man in the ad was one of the hosts. While he demonstrated the product's features, it was in his role as an employee, rather than commenting on his own use of the product. The ASA considered the juxtaposition of the male host in an authoritative role demonstrating how the product could be used, alongside several women discussing their experiences with the product reinforced the harmful stereotype that cleaning was the responsibility of women. This was compounded by a female host who did not describe the product but instead observed and assisted the male host.

As such, the ASA concluded that the ad presented gender stereotypes likely to cause harm. The ASA ruled that the ad must not appear in its current form.

What to look out for

It is not inherently problematic for ads to feature people with stereotypical characteristics or undertaking stereotypical roles, but they are likely to be problematic if they suggest that these stereotypical roles or characteristics are always uniquely associated with one gender, the only options available to one gender, or never carried out or displayed by another gender. In this case, the fact that all the consumer users of the product were women, while the only man shown was a figure of authority accompanied by a female assistant, meant that the ad presented gender stereotypes in a way that was likely to cause harm.

This ruling highlights the importance of advertisers carefully considering how they depict the people or subjects featured in their ads to avoid the potential of causing harm. An unwise decision might not only result in facing the ASA but could also harm a company’s reputation and goodwill with clients and customers.

If unsure, refer to the guidance on presenting gender stereotypes in advertising, published by CAP, found here.

Co-authored by Chelsea Kent, Trainee Solicitor