A controversial advertisement that some in the LGBTI community believes portrays trans women as liars, has been taken down from the Old Mout Cider Facebook page. The cider brand, owned by DB Breweries removed the controversial video on Saturday following a public outcry. DB Breweries spokesperson, Matt Wilson says “We did not intend to cause offence but we recognised that, despite this intention, we have caused offence and so made the decision to pull the ad. Wilson says the company will remove the ad from television broadcast progressively as the pre-booked spots are transitioned out. “We hope that our swift apology and removal of the ad will show that our apology was genuine,” says Wilson. “As a company we have always attempted to strictly adhere to the ASA Codes of Practice, including the Code for Advertising and Promotion of Alcohol. I have just informed the ASA of our decision to withdraw this ad and will continue to review our compliance programs to ensure ongoing compliance with the ASA Codes of Practice.” The ad received a large number of complaints on the Old Mout Cider Facebook page including from Stephanie Rodgers who wrote; “This is a really disappointing and gross ad from a brand I have raved about in the past. Calling trans women "liars" and joking about outing their "real" names is repellent. I'm not going to be purchasing Old Mout in future.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 9th February 2016 - 10:55am