“Our intention was not to stereotype women and young boys in a negative light.”
KFC has apologised for an advertisement in Australia that shows two boys ogling a woman’s breasts.
In the 15-second ad for the Zinger Popcorn Box, a young woman checks her reflection in the window of a car.
She first looks at the back of her shorts before she adjusts herself in a low-cut top, at which point the window rolls down to show two young boys staring open-mouthed while their mother looks on unimpressed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRriM-LPy24
Clip via KFC Australia
The KFC ad has garnered over 54,000 views on its YouTube channel in three weeks and has also been running on television.
In a short statement issued to Associated Press on Tuesday, KFC said: “We apologise if anyone was offended by our latest commercial. Our intention was not to stereotype women and young boys in a negative light.”
Collective Shout, a grassroots movement which fights against the objectification of women, has condemned the ad.
“This is normalising this idea that ogling a woman and disrespecting her to her face is just a natural outcome if given the opportunity,” Collective Shout campaign manager, Melinda Liszewski told 3AW’s Tom Elliot.
“The ad agency have created a scenario where they’re objectifying the woman and they’re trying to dress it up as an accident with this narrative.
“It’s a stereotype which is being imposed on boys by adults,” she said.
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