An ad for a new ginger ale craft beer was pulled from TV in Australia for suggesting red hair is a disease we need to get rid of. The beer company, Carlton & United Breweries (CUB), came out with a commercial for its new Rusty Yak Gingery Ale, which shows several redheads and why it’s time to “stop the spread of the ‘ginger gene’ by looking for specially marked bottles for a chance to win money.
The ad was supposed to be a joke, but consumers filed complaints about its insulting tone and one petition even called the commercial “a direct attack on all redheads and their families.”
The beer company defended their ad, saying it was supposed to be “humorous and comical.” Unfortunately, Australia’s Advertising Standards watchdog ruled the phrase “Stop the spread of the gene” is racist and offensive, so the commercial was banned.
Source: Marie Claire