An advert posted by Match.com on TikTok has been banned for showing potentially offensive negative gender stereotypes.
The clip featured a couple in their home, and showed the woman giving the man a drink while he has feet up and using his phone, before organising socks and towels and putting a football match on the TV.
Throughout the ad, a female voice-over says: “I will make him his protein drink after the gym. I always make sure he has a fresh towel and socks after his shower. I put the football on for him every evening.”
At the end of the advert, which was titled “Things that make me realise I’m a keeper”, the woman adds: “Find your keeper via Match. Go download the Match app today.”
After it was posted on 30 June, a viewer, who believed the ad was sexist and perpetuated negative gender stereotypes, challenged if it was harmful and offensive.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) flagged the fact that all the deeds performed by the woman were domestic chores to “please her male partner”, which could have been interpreted as reinforcing a negative gender stereotype.
“We further noted that the actions of the woman were one-sided and were not reciprocated by the man in the ad,” it said.
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Match.com explained that the post formed part of a three-video storyline, which also showed gestures carried out by the man for the woman, but added that it has since been removed.
Following the complaint, Match.com acknowledged that it would have been more appropriate to include gestures by both characters in the same video.
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The ASA also took aim at the title of the video, saying that it “reinforced the idea that women should be subservient to men in order to maintain a successful relationship”.
“We concluded that the ad perpetuated negative gender stereotypes and was likely to cause harm and widespread offence,” the authority said.
