Advertisment
The post on the advertisers’ Instagram account referred to the following:
“We are looking for salesmen to join our DUBLIN TEAM”.
Complaint
The complainant considered the advertisement to be offensive on the grounds that only one gender was being recruited for the role specified.
Response
The advertisers’ failed to respond to the complaint.
Conclusion
Complaint Upheld
The Complaints Committee considered the detail of the complaint. The Committee expressed concern at the advertisers’ failure to respond to the complaint. They reminded them that there is an onus on advertisers to ensure that their advertising is in conformity with the Code.
They noted that marketing communications should respect the principle of equality of men and women and should avoid gender stereotyping and any exploitation or demeaning of men or women. Where appropriate, marketing communications should use generic terms that include both the masculine and feminine gender; for example, the term “business executive” can be used to refer to both men and women (3.18).
As the job description in the advertisement had not used generic terms as required by the Code, and in the absence of a response to the complaint, the Complaints Committee considered that the advertisement was in breach of the Code Section 3.10 and 3.18.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The advertising should not appear in the same format again.
