Mixed race couples on tv ads **Mod Warning in Post #556**

dxhound2005

You are correct about commercialism and mercantile reasons. As a Native, I am not in the least bit surprised by that. But I still have to see proof that more than 1.4% of all advertising features black people. Or that it is less than 2.1% for South Asians.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118474965#Comment_118474965

Not so much racist, as a throwback to racist times, a reminder of when Uncle Ben couldn't sit at the diner counter, and couldn't sit at the front of the bus. It's not really surprising that people would want to move on from this, and the company have done this. So what's the problem?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118474984#Comment_118474984

I would never buy that stuff anyway. And obviously nobody really cares about it. My problems is that it's a symptom of a bigger problem. 10 people on Twitter decide something is racist. Whip up a storm in a teacup. And a giant corporation panics to avoid being called racist.

The wider problem that DOES get my knickers in a twist is this - at some stage somebody in position of power needs to simply say the word "No" to these people. When accusations of racism get thrown around willy nilly, then rather than immediately capitulating, which only serves to validate the ludicrous claims, they need to be ridiculed and rejected. Did anyone think Uncle Ben's was racist before George Floyd was killed? I'd be curious to know if anyone in the world was claiming such a thing.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118475964#Comment_118475964

The name of the product was only chosen originally because the company believed it would expand their revenue. In 2020, Mars decided to rebrand because of the same reason.

There's nothing else to this really. The product still exists and it isn't going anywhere.

As much as I've read on the matter, Uncle Ben has had previous flak because of it's name. The term "uncle" was used in the racist South as a means to avoid calling senior black men mister, because that was a term of respect. This has stuck in the craw of some people for some time apparently.

As far as "panic" is concerned, that has nothing to do with it. It was more of a cynical marketing ploy than anything else. Corporate entities will do anything at all to make sure that the money still flows. They'd emblazon packets gefilte fish with swastikas if it meant that sales would go up.

rightmove

surely its racist to take uncle bens picture and name from the rice pkg when all the others are trying to put black ppl into their adverts. They are being racists removing uncle ben from the packaging. Why couldnt uncle ben be white ....that would be the best option ..a good white MALE person making rice.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118476052#Comment_118476052

I don't think their sales would be impacted at all though if they kept the old name. If BLM are to be believed, they are at great risk of being shot the moment they step out the door. I don't think too many black people were too badly affected by Uncle Ben's in the past. Similarly I don't think white people's behaviour to black people was in any way changed for the better.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118476069#Comment_118476069

Exactly. Uncle Ben seemed like a trustworthy gentleman. I thought he was a chef or something. A good example for black youth to look up to. Removing the character seems like a retrograde step in the current advertising environment of tokenism.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118476114#Comment_118476114

THEY might though, and large corporate, multi million dollar, businesses are extremely risk averse and even the potential of a problem will be enough to cause action. So, they will rebrand if there's even a slight perception of issue.

What YOU personally want to think doesn't matter.

The fact of the issue is this, however. These kind of outdated symbols are a thing of the past and that past may, indeed, make some people feel uncomfortable. HB don't use the image of a gollywog on their ice cream any more and Lyons don't use black and white minstrels either and for very good good reason.

RulesOfNature

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118441972#Comment_118441972

Not sure if this is brilliant sarcastic parody of what some deranged people actually think - Or is a deranged idiot himself saying this with a straight face.

Yes I'm sure the media is conditioning women to date brown men. Im sure thats why you dont have a girlfriend.

Filmer Paradise

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118475470#Comment_118475470

Perfect post. I couldn't thank this enough.

Also fair play to the OP for starting this thread.

It's not easy to question some of the changes in society these days without getting your head shot off.

bertiebomber

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118476212#Comment_118476212

no i think what that poster means is the media are making it accceptable to have a mixed race family, 20 years ago in Ireland I think it was not. I read Donal Ryan's last novel about that very subject. A mixed marriage child coming back to ireland Strange Flowers is a very good book to read, a novel but delicately handled

72sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118475470#Comment_118475470

Yes, criticism is definitely warranted.

If I happened to be "visibly non-Irish" and married to an Irish native then watching TV with my in-laws would be distinctly embarrassing. Seeing minorities (foreigners, gays,...) overly represented in the media does not help me as an immigrant AT ALL. In fact, it is directly making my life in Ireland more difficult. So you need to ask yourself who is it helping and we'll all have our own answers to that question. None of that makes us racists though.

Also posters here dismissing these media campaigns as just virtue signaling is naive. That smacks of regurgitating the explanation you've been taught to parrot out whenever you recognise this type of pattern.

dxhound2005

This embarrassing problem will be solved in the next generation, when your children will be Irish.

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118476052#Comment_118476052

What did Mars rebrand as??? 😯😲

M three

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118442088#Comment_118442088

Redressed?? What nonsense are you talking. The black population in Ireland is what 2 - 3%. Every 2nd ad that presents 'Irish' couples showcase mixed race couples. Advertisers are pumping out inaccurate virtue signalling nonsense. How is that "the right thing to do".

Cop yourself on.

dxhound2005

I know "every 2nd ad" is a figure of speech. But what is the real number? How far above the 2 - 3% of all ads is it?

One eyed Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118477584#Comment_118477584

Mars Foods own the Uncle Ben’s brand, and they renamed it to Ben’s Original… I’m not sure that sounds any better tbh 😳

Good take on the whole phenomenon here -

https://www.marketingweek.com/mark-ritson-black-lives-matter-brands/

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118462629#Comment_118462629

Jesus I haven't bought this in years, was a staple for myself and my house mate at college. Curry chip on a Thursday we'd have to go up the road to use their fryer but we'd bring our own spuds to chip and the Knorr sauce. My friend is no longer with us but this was a nice memory to have triggered randomly. Thanks.

Freight bandit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118461757#Comment_118461757

New to the Parish.....never report the bad stuff though..

Hamachi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118478192#Comment_118478192

Interesting point. If Sorcha Pollak, who churns out the weekly installment of ‘New to the Parish’, is so concerned with diversity and representation, why doesn’t she resign? This would create an opportunity for an ethnic minority journalist to establish him/herself at the Irish Times.

Sorcha will never do that though. She’s far too comfortable in her role a bargain bin white saviour, lecturing the rest of us incorrigible Paddies about what racist, xenophobes we are. The irony of this coming from a South Dublin princess who has never dirtied her fingernails throughout her pampered existence.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118477818#Comment_118477818

So should we have a quota system for appearances of black people in ads maybe?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118478862#Comment_118478862

Wow, that's a fairly bitter oul chip there on your shoulder. Is she to blame for her own upbringing now? She's writing articles, presumably on the instructions of her editor. Do you think you might have picked the wrong target for your venomous, misogynistic attack?

Fandymo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118474855#Comment_118474855

Their well known trademark was cancelled because wokesters decided that he was racist. He was cancelled.

cbreeze

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118442246#Comment_118442246

and he microwaved his dinner too before getting a call out to a dinner with a family!!!

dxhound2005

I was going to suggest that making a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority, was the way to go. But it turns out they are not there to regulate the number of black or white people in ads. The only thing now would be to contact Bord Gáis or whoever, and complain directly.

What marketing communications are covered?

The Code of Standards for Advertising and Marketing Communications in Ireland applies to commercial marketing communications and to sales promotions that promote the sales of goods or services. Section 2 of the Code contains full details of the marketing communications that are covered.

Non-commercial marketing communications, i.e. those which express the advertiser’s position on a political, religious, industrial relations, social or aesthetic matter or an issue of public concern, are not subject to the Code

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118479639#Comment_118479639

There are elements in the ASAI code about adverts having to be realistic, so you could make a complaint on that basis if you wish.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118479518#Comment_118479518

You keep spinning it as if someone held a gun to the head of Mars and forced them to do something. The product wasn't cancelled, in the same way that Marathon bars weren't cancelled and UPC weren't cancelled. They rebranded because they figured they could make more money with the new branding than the old branding. It is a commercial decision, regardless of how hard you want to play the victim card.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118479318#Comment_118479318

No quota needed.

The best man and woman for the job is what should happen. But it's so skewed now it's clearly not happening and token gestures are so widespread now it's gone off the charts.

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118479762#Comment_118479762

By how much is it skewed. Did you do a count?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118479765#Comment_118479765

Well Vodafone's last two ads have been the same. The guy living in the lighthouse and then the rugby one on now.

So you can often be sitting and see in 10 adverts 2/3/4 of the above type of adverts.

All the companies are doing it, so it stands out.

Did you?

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118479780#Comment_118479780

I didn't, but as I posted before this thread is an opportunity to do a count. Nobody has responded to my suggestion. There were two ads listed in the OP, BOI and Vodafone, and Bord Gais was added later. And as I said before, the thread is pointless, if it turns out that it is just a perception and not reality.

Hamachi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118479318#Comment_118479318

I wouldn't call them articles. They are, at best, puff pieces, devoid of any journalistic integrity. It's no coincidence that she's the daughter of Andy Pollak, a leading light in our home-grown NGO 'industry'. So yes, I do object to somebody of her background, lecturing the nation on representation and xenophobia.

Oh and lay off the hysterics Andy. You might want to lie down in a darkened room and take some vapors.