An Uber Eats ad which dramatises a breakup has been pulled from Australian television and social channels following complaints it glorified violence against men.
The ad offers up the cliche of a jilted lover - in this case the woman - throwing her ex's possessions from the balcony onto the street.
As the man's life and relationship falls apart around him, he talks to the camera about that evening's evolving Uber Eats order.
The brand said the ad was intended to be light-hearted and noted it was employing humorous exaggeration 'reminiscent of a movie-style breakup scene', which renders it 'intentionally unrealistic'.
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The man's changing situation showed the utility of Uber Eats, it said.
Not all viewers saw the funny side though.
One complainant, taking their distaste to watchdog Ad Standards, said domestic violence 'can't be tolerated against men or anyone' and 'it isn't acceptable to promote criminal behaviour of this kind'.
"This is a glorification of domestic violence. If the genders were reversed, it would never have been made," another suggested.
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"If there was a female having her belongings thrown down to her, it would have been banned immediately," another comment provided by Ad Standards said.
The brand countered these accusations and suggested that the average member of the public would not reasonably perceive this as a portrayal of violence, and consumers would instead 'perceive this as a light-hearted and humorous portrayal of a woman breaking up with a man, that is justifiable in the context and tone of the advertisement'.
There is nothing in the ad's contents which suggests the man has been a victim of physical harm, or is at risk of becoming one, the brand said.
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Indeed Uber Eats said the ad does not condone, or even present, any violence.
Despite the delivery brand's almost four-page response to the complaints and allegations, the Ad Standards judging panel concluded that the destruction of property could legally be classified as a form of domestic abuse.
"The Panel considered that the woman's actions were menacing and in combination with the property damage, this did amount to a depiction of domestic violence, despite the man's laconic response," Ad Standards said.
"The Panel noted that there is a high level of community concern about the prevalence of domestic violence in Australia, particularly in relation to the increased media coverage of rising domestic violence rates due to the recent pandemic."
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Section 2.3 of the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics, which Ad Standards is bound by, requires that 'Advertising shall not present or portray violence unless it is justifiable in the context of the product or service advertised'.
The AANA notes that it does give more leeway when the depiction is 'stylised rather than realistic'.
In its ruling, the Ad Standards community panel determined that the ad did in fact breach Section 2.3 and that the violence was not justifiable in the context of the service being advertised.
In response to the determination, Uber Eats said it would discontinue the advertisement and remove it from circulation.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: News, Uber Eats, Australia