KFC Australia has apologized for an advertisement that some have called sexist, but it may continue to air.
The 15-second ad begins with a scantily dressed young woman checking herself out in the tinted windows of a car without realizing there are people in the car. The windows roll down to reveal two young boys gawking at her with an older woman, presumably a motherly figure, shooting her a disapproving look. The young woman then awkwardly asks, “Did someone say KFC?”
The ad goes on to show the woman having fun with friends at a festival while eating a KFC chicken sandwich.
“We apologize if anyone was offended by our latest commercial. Our intention was not to stereotype women and young boys in a negative light,” a representative for the fast-food chain told the Australian Associated Press on Tuesday. Despite the apology, the commercial has continued to air in Australia.
Collective Shout, an organization dedicated to ending “the objectification of women and the sexualization of girls,” condemned the ad and said it “contributes to a lesser view of women, resulting in their mistreatment.
“Ads like this reinforce the false idea that we can’t expect better from boys. It is another manifestation of the ‘boys will be boys’ trope, hampering our ability to challenge sexist ideas which contribute to harmful behavior towards women and girls,” spokeswoman Melinda Liszewski said in a statement.
