The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a JML spot for its Hurricane Spin Scrubber cleaning tool after it was deemed to perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes.
The infomercial-style clip, published in early January, showed a number of women using the brand’s Hurrican Spin Scrubber to clean bathrooms, kitchen and other home environments.
The ad included both male and female hosts, with the male host subsequently giving the audience a demonstration of how the product should be used. Four of the women featured also gave feedback of their experiences with the tool.
The lack of males being shown using the tool and giving feedback led to a complainant challenging whether the ad perpetuated gender stereotypes, suggesting that only women cleaned or were interested in cleaning products.
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Because of this imbalance, the complaint said the spot suggested that cleaning the home was the responsibility of women, and that men did not share that responsibility.
Moreover, the man’s female co-host did did not demonstrate or describe the features of the product herself, but simply observed and assisted him.
In response, JML said it had believed the inclusion of a male host would help to dispel gender stereotypes after a previous ad for the Hurricane Spin Scrubber was banned in 2021 on similar grounds.
It added that it believed that the ad was in line with CAP and BCAP Advertising Guidance on ‘depicting gender stereotypes likely to cause harm or serious or widespread offence’, and that at no point did the ad suggest that cleaning the home was the responsibility of either gender.
Despite this, the ASA upheld the complaint and ruled that the ad must not appear in its current form.
It said the ad “perpetuated negative stereotypes” by only featuring one man throughout the spot, in the role of joint host, with the vast majority of demonstrations carried out by women.
