Wrigley's Orbit campaign escapes racism charge

by Darren Davidson, Brand Republic 15-Aug-07, 08:35

LONDON - The advertising watchdog has cleared a TV campaign for Wrigley's Orbit chewing gum after an investigation into complaints it was racist. The Orbit inquiry follows the furore surrounding rival gum brand Trident, which became embroiled in a race row.

The campaign, created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, comprised four TV ads to back Wrigley's Orbit Complete brand, which contains a substance designed to fight plaque called Xylitol.

The spots all feature a similar scenario but with different ethnic characters in each spot, including an Asian man, black woman, black man and an Oriental man.

The ad with the Asian man attracted the most complaints and showed a white man and woman approaching an Asian man, with the woman carrying a large case of chewing gum.

A voiceover then says: "This is Raj. Raj has agreed to play the role of a new Orbit Complete." The case being carried by the woman is then opened to reveal a white suit which the Asian man is shown wearing.

After this, the Asian man is shown fighting thin air while the voiceover continues: "He's fighting the plaque acid that can attack between brushing. But obviously plaque is invisible."

The ad was described as offensive and racist by complainants because it showed a person of ethnic minority behaving "foolishly" while being observed by white people. Similar complaints were lodged at the other three spots.

The Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre said it was surprised by the complaints and pointed out two other ads in the campaign featured Caucasians in the role of the Asian man.

The Advertising Standards Authority dismissed the complaints and said in its adjudication "we considered that the humour in the ads was not derived from, or at the expense of, the ethnicity or cultural backgrounds of the participants".

Earlier this year, the ASA banned the TV launch campaign for Trident chewing gum following hundreds of complaints that the campaign featuring a West Indian comic was racist. The campaign created by JWT was later dropped by Cadbury.