Ad description
A TV ad for Clearscore, a credit score app, seen during June 2018, featured a couple in a kitchen. The man took an avocado seed out of a recycling box and, appearing to be shaking with rage, asked the woman “What’s this? We’re saving for a house deposit in London, not splashing the cash on avocado”. The woman appeared frightened and replied showing the man the app on her phone, “I know, but since using the Clearscore app I’ve been tracking all our finances in one place so, eating an avocado just made sense. Clearscore recommends the best mortgage deals for us based on our credit scores, all for free”. After hearing this, the man calmed down smiled slightly, and then dropped the avocado seed back in the box and ran out of the room saying “I’ve been eating bread sandwiches for six months Amanda”. The woman resumed looking at her phone.
Issue
The complainants, who believed the ad trivialised domestic violence and was likely to trigger negative emotions for those who had been victims of domestic violence, challenged whether the ad was likely to cause serious and widespread offence.
Response
Clear Score Technology Ltd t/a ClearScore said they wanted to tell a story of a young couple who, like many, were trying their best to save for a house deposit. The male protagonist represented the surreal and hyperbolic side and his character was never intended to be interpreted as aggressive or threatening. They believed the portrayal reflected a light-hearted silliness, while the female represented the ‘sensible one’ in control of her life having discovered the benefits of ClearScore.
ClearScore said the performance of the woman, which had been interpreted as scared, was intended to portray someone under pressure and thinking on her feet, because she knew the popular social joke that avocados had become the popular cultural representation of the disconnect between millennials’ lifestyles and the realities of savings. They said the symbolism of the avocado was well reported in the media and commonly understood by the general public. The ad played on the social misunderstanding that millennials were unwilling to compromise on lifestyle for longer-term financial benefit.
ClearScore said that after receiving notification of the complaint, they had discussions with domestic abuse advisors whose view was that rooting through rubbish bins to find evidence of wrong-doings would be a more likely trigger for those who had experienced domestic abuse, than a couple disagreeing over finances which was viewed as a commonplace occurrence. They also said they immediately removed the copy from their broadcast schedule and implemented a review of internal protocols, beyond standard UK clearance processes, to avoid a similar issue in the future. They said they stood by their opinion that it did not breach the Code, because the message was not distressing. ClearScore said they regretted that one of their ads had caused enough offence to provoke complaints, but they noted the number of complainants was very small relative to the number of people who saw the ad. They did not therefore believe that any offence caused was widespread. ClearScore said this was one of a series of ads which included exaggerated scenes for comedic effect and they believed they had taken due care in all aspects of the preparation of the ad.
Clearcast said they took the issue of domestic violence and abusive relationships very seriously and they were saddened to learn of the complainants’ distress on seeing the ad. They noted the advertiser had voluntarily decided to withdraw the ad from broadcast and welcomed the decision in light of the complaints, but they did not feel that the ad breached the Code.
Clearcast said the ad was not intended to trivialise domestic abuse or to offend. At all stages Clearcast considered that the point of the ad was to play on an increasingly popular trope in modern culture, which was the idea that young people struggling to get on to the property ladder would find it easier if they ate fewer avocados. This was held up as an example of a luxurious and indulgent food not eaten by previous generations. They said that was the obvious reference in their mind when considering the ad.
Clearcast said that the ad was meant to be humorous; the man’s reaction and attitude absurd. His discovery of the avocado stone was meant to be understood as purely accidental – the stone happened to be on top of the bin. The ad was not meant to suggest that he was checking up on what his partner had been eating. It was part of a series contrasting the sensible use of the ClearScore app with an absurd over-reaction to financial concerns. They said they understood aspects of the acting style, like the man appearing to shake with rage or the woman appearing to be frightened, in that light of the surreal, over-the-top style of the ad. Clearcast said they hoped that the majority of viewers would take the ad in the spirit in which it was intended, as a surreal and silly joke about the struggles of a young couple trying to organise their finances and save for a house.
Assessment
Not upheld
The ASA acknowledged that the ad had been intended to reflect the difficulties of young people trying to get on the housing ladder and to promote the app as the sensible way to manage finances. We understood that the man’s display of anger as he discovered the avocado stone was intended to be over-the-top and obviously comedic, but we recognised that his manner and the way in which he was standing as the woman was seated and explaining the app’s features created some degree of tension.
We consulted with Refuge – a charity providing specialist support for women and children experiencing domestic violence – and a spokesperson stated that economic abuse and coercive behaviour could appear relatively hidden to the outside world, particularly as it was often manifested by controlling finances, instilling fear and questioning expenditure. They said the impacts of that were devastating and long lasting with a risk of re-traumatisation for survivors.
We acknowledged that ClearScore and Clearcast had tried to present the couple’s financial situation in a light-hearted way by referring to the popular cultural notion of young people avoiding expenditure on so-called “luxurious” foods such as avocado, to save money for a deposit. We accepted that couples in such situations would make agreements between themselves about how money was spent and we considered that the ad depicted such an agreement which apparently had been broken by one party and the ensuing spat between the couple.
We considered that any tension created at the beginning of the ad was quickly dissipated. By the end of the ad the woman was clearly not distressed and had resumed looking at her phone in a nonchalant manner while the man abruptly dashed off. His words off-screen, “I’ve been eating bread sandwiches for six months” served to reinforce the childishness of his behaviour and the comic intent of the ad.
For those reasons we considered that the majority of viewers would view the man’s behaviour as silly, absurd or over-the top. While the ad might be distasteful to some viewers, it was unlikely to cause undue distress for, and serious offence to, victims of domestic violence.
We investigated the ad under BCAP Code rules 4.2 4.2 Advertisements must not cause serious or widespread offence against generally accepted moral, social or cultural standards. and 4.10 4.10 Advertisements must not distress the audience without justifiable reason. Advertisements must not exploit the audience's fears or superstitions (Harm and offence), but did not find it in breach.
Action
No further action necessary.
