Top 5 controversial South African ads
JOBURG - TV advertisements can either be received with great admiration or fervent derision and South Africa has seen its fair share of controversial advertising. Here are the top five controversial TV advertisements.
Nandos vs Xenophobia
Nandos is well known for its challenging adverts, but a 2012 advertisement which was accompanied by a campaign promoting diversity and anti-xenophobia, was banned before airing. The advert features South Africa of different ancestry disappearing into puffs of smoke with one Khoisan left on screen who says, “I’m not going anywhere. You *$@#* found us here.”
SABC refused to air the advertisement as the public broadcaster felt it had ‘xenophobic undertones’ and that it violated the Electronics Communications and Transactions Act and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) code.
Feeding the flames
Feed a Child South Africa came under fire last year following a controversial advertisement which featured a white woman feeding a young black boy bits of her food while he sits on the floor. The ad, which was criticised as racist, was subsequently pulled off the air and YouTube and was followed by an apology by the organisation.
Criminal Minds
A controversial advertisement created by the Amy Biehl Foundation was banned due to its perceived insensitivity as it features children from different backgrounds describing crimes they will commit such as murder and rape due to a lack of education.
Race reversal
Probably one of South Africa’s most well-known advertisements which originally aired on SABC in the early ’00s. The racial perspective advertisement was met with a polarising response as it depicts white and black people in reversed roles.
Real Men
Featuring a then-unknown Charlize Theron, this advertisement has been off the air since the ’90s and addresses the still controversial issue of rape and gender-based violence in South Africa. The advertisement is still under fire due to its use of now debunked facts.
