ASA Warns Commission For Racial Equality Over Ads

The Commission for Racial Equality has caused controversy once again with one of its advertising campaigns, according to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The latest poster from the CRE pictured the face of a black man next to the headline: “Scared? You should be. He’s a dentist.”

Complainants were concerned that the poster was offensive as it suggested that black people should be feared, and/or people should be surprised to find them in a qualified position. There was also concern that the ad denigrated the dental profession and might discourage people from visiting the dentist.

The ASA upheld complaints against a CRE poster campaign last year after the watchdog received over 30 complaints within 2 days (see Newsline).

When approached by the ASA about the most recent ad, the CRE said that the campaign was intended to make people examine their own racial prejudices and stereotypes, and hoped that the ads would encourage people to take responsibility for challenging racism.

However, the ASA considered that although the ad might incite some people to confront their own stereotypes, the image could be seen as advocating a negative stereotype, and could seriously offend some parties. Although the Authority did not uphold the complaints against the ad campaign, it did ask the advertisers to take particular care when devising them in the future.

Commission For Racial Equality: 0171 828 7022 Advertising Standards Authority: 0171 580 5555