Controversial Snickers ad turns builders into leering gentlemen

Snickers Australia’s new brand awareness campaign flips the misogyny of builders down under, with compliments being hurled at real-life Sheilas passing by instead of lewd innuendos – yet ends with the implication that a bar of Snickers would correct the foolishness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gjsoSY18kg

The nutty chocolate bars new ad is alike many marketing campaigns of late, such as Pepsi’s digitally augmented London bus stop and the Syria awareness campaign encouraging people to give up their jackets for a shivering boy, all infusing reality as a connective tool for its consumers.

Snickers Australia’s latest foray into the reality-based marketing push sees a group of traditionally leery construction workers assume their infamous tea-drinking/lean position, however they yell compliments and words of encouragement for the cause of equality at female pedestrians instead of the normal dribble.

However, this ad has caused a backlash as it ultimately implies that those men are not themselves when being respectful to women and should eat a Snickers to return back to their normal sexist selves.

The controversy stoked by this ad might actually be what the Mars-owned brand was going for. After all, provocative advertising has been known to drive views and though mostly negative, the video has been sparking conversations.