ITC slams Bass Reef ad as racist

The Independent Television Commission (ITC) has banned a TV advertising campaign for alcoholic drink Reef, after more than 100 people complained the ads were racist.

The ads, created for Bass Brewers by Roose & Partners, show a group of women performing what appears to be the haka, a ceremonial dance, which is a sacred part of Maori culture.

The viewers complained that the ad, which featured the closing phrase “Go native,” had racist overtones and was derogatory to Maoris.

Bass admitted the ad had drawn inspiration from the haka, but said it had intended to depict “free thinking women in British society”.

The ITC ruled that by implying consumers would, after drinking Reef, “go native” like the Maori people, the ad had crossed the boundary between poor taste and serious offence and could not be shown.

Brandt Appliances was censured, after viewers complained that an ad depicting people smashing their cookers, so they could buy Brandt , promoted domestic violence.

The ITC banned the commercial from being shown during children’s programming.

It also upheld 18 complaints about an ad for NatWest Bank, which carried misleading claims about the bank scrapping its programme of branch closures.