Cannes Lions criticised after 'sexist' aspirin ad wins award
Cannes Lions is facing criticism after an aspirin ad carrying the line "Don't worry babe, I'm not filming this" was awarded a bronze lion in the outdoor category.
The .MOV campaign has been met with derision online for its sexist overtones / Twitter
The ad, created by Brazilian agency AlmapBBDO for pharmaceutical firm Bayer, has been slammed by social media users including the prominent equality campaigner and former BBH executive Cindy Gallop.
She received more than 300 retweets after tweeting the poster accompanied by the caption: "Don't use this to sell aspirin, male-dominated ad industry, & don't award it, male-dominated juries."
Gallop went on to retweet other Twitter users' critical posts of the campaign, which has been derided for being perceived to condone unpermitted recording of sexual activity, and the dissonance between the campaign and the product it is promoting.
#tw this gives me the biggest creeps. oh god, it's horrible. https://t.co/frZxFtFCOi — Nechama Brodie (@brodiegal) June 23, 2016
As a father of two daughters this makes me sick how does this win anything #CannesLions https://t.co/pxwGSDMWpV
— Eric L. Mitchell (@EricLMitchell) June 23, 2016
this is a real advert made to sell aspirin. it also just won an award at #canneslions via @cindygallop #NotBuyingIt pic.twitter.com/arg1VZM0C4 — Rossalyn Warren (@RossalynWarren) June 23, 2016
Titled .MOV, the billboard is one of three in a series created for the campaign. The other two, .DOC and .MP3, follow a similar design and message and also won bronze awards.
It is not the first sexism scandal to befall the annual advertising event this week. Yesterday, a party invite sent out by a 'third party' on behalf of Gary Vaynerchuk's agency Vayner Media calling for 'attractive females and models' attracted similar derision on social media.
And the older women in high-level positions pushed to do the same on the #canneslions juries. #changetheratio https://t.co/5KFavuRIDX — Cindy Gallop (@cindygallop) June 23, 2016
The Drum has contacted AlmapBBDO and Cannes Lions for comment.