We love brands who don’t capitulate to outrage warriors like Flying Dog Brewery. As of today, London-based beauty and wellness app USPAAH just joined the list. After coming under fire for a “sexist” advertisement posted in the London Underground, they fought fire with fire and told the few offended that they would not be acquiescing to their demands.
The ad, which shows a man with puppy dog eyes beseeching the audience to “keep her sweet with a spa mani/pedi at home,” became the subject of outrage after irate commuters shared their disgust and disapproval on social media.
In a backlash similar to the controversy over the 2015 Protein World ad in London, offended critics claim that the USPAAH ad perpetuates outdated and negative gender stereotypes against women. They say that the ad promotes the idea that women, preoccupied with their looks, can be appeased with stereotypically feminine gifts.
Some of them even tied their outrage to International Women’s Day.
“And this is one of the reasons why people today are marching, striking, protesting!” wrote user @Evidgeb.
USPAAH did not back down or apologize for the ad, and instead retorted with sarcasm, surprising many onlookers who expected them—like so many other companies—to capitulate.
“Yes, yes how very dare one partner in a relationship buy the other a gift to say sorry?!” The company tweeted. “Get us to the protest right now!”
In response to another complaint, they said: “How interesting that you think if one receives a gift, they’re ‘stupid.’ Must stop gift giving worldwide ASAP. #BanXmas too?”
The company also retweeted readers who cheered them on.
USPAAH defended the ad to its detractors, stating that they created the ad for men, based on their “survey of lighthearted annoying boyfriend behavior,” which stated that the complaints most women had about their partners was that they stayed out repeatedly.
“We’re just not sexist, apparently it’s bad to defend that,” they wrote.
Ian Miles Cheong is a journalist and outspoken media critic. You can reach him through social media at @stillgray on Twitter and on Facebook.
