Ads are meant to lure viewers to try out whatever the ads is promoting. In coming up with an ad for British online bingo site Tombola Bingo, ad agency Euro RSCG failed to reach this goal. The ad the company came up with has been banned on the grounds that it is racist.
The ad, which was aired on British television for a short while, presented a black man dressed in a Hawaiian playing the ukulele. While he does so, he repeats every word to come out of the mouth of an older white man, dressed in a black suit. The white man says the following:
“If you sign up this month to Tombola.co.uk we will match your first deposit up to £25. Thank you, Tito. Hola, Tombola.”
British watchdog ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) banned the ad on the grounds that it promotes “negative racial stereotyping.” According to the ASA, because the black man repeats everything the white man says, including “Thank you Tito”, the idea that the black man is less intelligent than the white man is conveyed.
"We noted that he seemed to look to the white man for reassurance or instruction suggesting that he lacked the confidence or intellect to behave otherwise," said the ASA. "We considered that the ad could be interpreted as humiliating, stigmatizing or undermining the standing of the black character and was therefore likely to cause serious offence."
The ASA warned Tombola Bingo to be cautious in the future about any ads that present negative racial stereotypes.
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