The Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) has dismissed a consumer complaint about a We Buy Cars television advert. According to the complainant the ad was derogatory and discriminatory towards Afrikaans-speaking people.

Complaint against We Buy Cars advert

The complainant filed the complaint on 31 July 2024. It was made against We Buy Cars Proprietary Limited regarding a television advert that aired on DStv’s KykNet channel.

The advert features a man flinging mud at his vehicle, which then transforms into a person portrayed by South African comedian Schalk Bezuidenhout. The ‘vehicle’, dressed in khaki and covered in mud, challenges the owner’s actions. It then consequently suggests that the owner should sell the vehicle to We Buy Cars.

The complaint was related to the line in the advert, ‘I wanna get dirtier than the bottom of Afrikaans people’s feet’. The complainant argued that this was derogatory and should be reported to the Human Rights Commission, according to Bizcommunity.

Advert is positive and not offensive, says ARB

The ARB found no evidence that the general Afrikaans community interpreted the advert as offensive. Furthermore, the board found that it did not violate the Code of Advertising Practice, specifically clauses related to offensive advertising and discrimination.

The board’s opinion is that the advert simply uses exaggeration in order to emphasise the toughness of the vehicle in comparison to its owner.

“It is common knowledge that Afrikaans people enjoy walking barefoot. Similarly, walking barefoot is often seen as an indication of having faced harsh conditions, which results in dirty feet.”
The Advertising Regulatory Board

The ARB added that ‘Afrikaans families are not known to be averse to letting their children play barefoot’ and that it is common for ‘, and many primary schools allow children to attend barefoot during the summer. It is also not uncommon to hear ‘Afrikaans men [to] reminisce about the days when they still played rugby with bare feet’.

How to appeal an ARB ruling

The question remains whether the complainant will appeal the ruling.

To appeal such a ruling, the complainant must give the ARB notice of an appeal. The notice must be in writing and communicated to the ARB electronically. It must reach the ARB within 20 days of notification of the decision appealed against and must clearly stipulate the grounds of appeal.

source:Advert derogatory towards Afrikaans community: ARB disagrees (thesouthafrican.com)