Comically placed carrot causes Australian brand to complain about inappropriate sexual content

Jane Anderson
Jane Anderson
Anuncio de Telstra

Two animated kangaroos build a snowman. The youngest places a carrot on the snowman in the genital area and upon noticing the detail, the large kangaroo moves the vegetable to the position of the nose.
That is the scene that has caused Telstra, an Australian telecommunications company, a complaint about inappropriate sexual content in one of the advertisements in a recent advertising campaign.

Ad Standardsthe advertising regulatory body in the Australian market, has reviewed the spot as a result of the complaints filed. And some users consider that the company’s advertisement implies that the carrot suggests being a penis.

The advertiser has indicated that the advertisement does not violate the guidelines or community standards regarding sex, sexuality and nudity. Thus, in the decision published by the Australian Self-Control, the company indicates that the piece does not represent sexual relations or people involved in sexual behavior.

Telstra points out in its allegations that there is nothing in the advertisement that suggests the ability to experience or express sexual desire, and that the carrot is not placed to indicate a response to any external sexual stimulus. They also point out that suggesting that carrots are a substitute for an erect penis is unreasonable; and finally the vegetable is used as the snowman’s nose, as shown. Likewise, the company emphasizes that there is no presence of nudity in its piece, which does not contain humans or living creatures.

Telstra has also noted that the ad received a G rating from ClearAds, institution that reviews and qualifies advertising to guarantee its compliance with standards and codes. That means it can be broadcast at any time of day to a wide audience, which could include children.

Likewise, Telstra considers that the spot has been prepared in humorous and casual tone to reflect a parent’s discomfort at a child’s blatant placing of a carrot on a snowman. This comedy is also expressed in a metareference, and one of the animated kangaroos says “Will they edit it so it doesn’t appear?alluding to the little kangaroo gesture and the slight suggestion of the penis as a part of the body that would be inappropriate to show on television.

Humorously acknowledging the existence of the penis with an animated carrot in a snowman cannot be seen as overtly sexual in reference to the content accepted on television by current advertising standards.”; The company states in its allegations.

In its resolution, Ad Standards concludes that the advertisement does not include sex, although it does include sexuality by containing mild innuendos related to the placement of the carrot in the snowman. It has also been considered to include a slight sexual suggestion through the placement of the carrot, but no actual genitalia were shown nor did it contain nudity.

In this regard, it has ruled that the advertisement was light-hearted and humorous and that the slight insinuation was not inappropriate for the relevant broad audience. That is why it has dismissed the complaints regarding the spot and has concluded that does not violate any aspect of the code of conduct.

The spot is part of the “Better on a Better Network” campaign”, which includes more than 20 different pieces. They all feature different animals animated using stop motion techniques and highlight different Australian regions to promote the reach of Telstra’s network. The campaign, which was activated two months ago, was designed by the agencies Bear Meets Eagle On Fire and +61.