Crown Paints have found itself at the centre of backlash following its new television ad, which fuelled 215 complaints to the advertising watchdog.
In what was meant to be a light-hearted ad by the paint manufacturer has now turned into a misogyny and sexism row after they told the fictional story of Hannah and Dave, who met at an illegal rave years ago.
Their story is told by a chorus of singers who explained that Dave asked Hannah if they should try for a baby when they moved in together, and she responded: "No, never".
She later changed her mind, with the song continuing: "Hannah's hoping for a girl, Dave's just hoping that it's his. They're happy that their spare room's no longer grey because there's a baby on the way."
Can we not?
The "massively offensive" and "sexist" advertisement did not go down too well with viewers, as many criticised the questioning of Hannah's fidelity while others were appalled that it "played to the false narrative" that women would eventually change their minds when it came to not wanting children.
In a now-deleted Twitter post, one person commented that the ad was "absolutely disgraceful advert casting Hannah as a woman who sleeps around".
Crown Paints responded: "We're sorry if you were upset by the remark in this advert – we were simply trying to tell the story of one of life's most special moments in a light-hearted way."
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Replying to another comment about the ad being "misogynistic", Crown Paints said: "We're a big fan of strong female characters, and we believe Hannah is one of these. She is comfortable in making her own decisions about parenthood & is happy to take the lead when it comes to if and when she changes her mind on the matter."
They continued: "Our ads are intended to give a humorous account of our characters' stories. We appreciate that people have differing tastes when it comes to humour and whilst the ad has been broadly well received, we apologise if the remark has caused offence to anyone."
Even comedian Jenny Eclair was left enraged after watching the one-minute-long clip, tweeting: "Hey Crown Paints get that offensive baby ad off air. What were you thinking? What on earth possessed you?"
On Tuesday morning, it was confirmed that the Advertising Standards Authority received 215 complaints about the advert. A spokesperson stated: "We're currently assessing the complaints to determine if there is a potential problem under our rules and, if so, whether there are grounds for further action.
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"The complaints are mainly focused on whether the content in the ad is appropriate to be shown on TV."
Lanchashire-based Crown Paints has also apologised directly to people, writing in a statement: "This ad is one in a series that is intended to celebrate special moments in life in a humorous way.
"The characters of Hannah and Dave are shown to be in a happy relationship and preparing for their new arrival. There are no negative connotations intended from any of the lyrics and whilst the ad has been broadly well received, we recognise that people have differing tastes in humour. We apologise if any of the lines have caused offence."
“I said no, I stood up for myself”
