7-Eleven Slurpee ad labelled “incredibly racist and offensive” but watchdog dismisses complaint

The advertising watchdog has dismissed a complaint against an advertisement for 7-Eleven, which has been labelled as “incredibly racist and offensive”.

The advertisement, which is designed to play at Australian cinemas, depicts two boys choosing a 7-Eleven Slurpee as a Maori character jumps out and performs the haka.

The ad is accompanied by the words, “Can you haka Kiwiberry?”

In a complaint to the advertising standards board, a person of Maori descent said they found the ad to be racist and offensive because it is a “totally inaccurate and offensive representation of Maori people”.

“Nowhere is this inaccuracy more evident than in the character’s performance of what is supposed to be a haka,” the complaint reads.

“The awkward performance depicts Maori people as illiterate savages who simply grunt and yell their way through their own native songs and dances, when authentic performances of the haka involve chanting meaningful words in the Maori language.”

The complainant argued because the ad is targeted at young Australians, there is a risk the “satirical representation of Maori people will propagate a racist attitude” among young people.

“Put simply, the fact that a non-Maori organisation is cheaply exploiting – not even respectfully appropriating – my culture and customs for its own commercial gain is utterly offensive and unethical,” the person wrote.

In response to enquiries from the Advertising Standards Board, 7-Eleven said the commercial did not breach the Australian Association of National Advertisers’ code of ethics.

The code says ads shall not portray people or material in a way that discriminates or vilifies a person or section of the community due to their race, ethnicity or nationality.

“The man’s appearance is reminiscent of a Maori warrior, however, his depiction is not in any way intended to ridicule or portray Maori people in a negative manner,” 7-Eleven told the board.

“His appearance in the middle of a 7-Eleven store is deliberately out of place and is intended to be humorous, however the humour is derived from the surprising nature of his appearance at the location and not due to his own appearance.”

7-Eleven also noted that the man in the advertisement is of Maori descent and agreed to perform a haka from his tribe.

While the board said the ad would not be allowed in New Zealand, the watchdog ruled it did not depict the haka or Maori man in a negative way.

“Whilst the use of the haka in an advertisement for a product may be viewed as poor taste by some members of the community, in the board’s view one person performing a haka is not representative of the whole Maori culture,” the watchdog ruled.

“The manner in which the Maori man is depicted in this advertisement is not negative or demeaning.”

As a result, the advertising watchdog dismissed the complaint.

PR analyst and author Gerry McCusker told SmartCompany that brands need to be aware of cultural sensitivities when developing marketing campaigns. 

“Clients need to be picking agencies and creative partners who are reputationally aware and not just creatively inspired,” McCusker says. 

“When I worked in agencies, the creative always ran past a cultural awareness team. Have a reputational counsel or PR consultant who can say, ‘Guys, I think you’re going to cop it with this one’ or ‘Here’s what you need to be aware of’.” 

SmartCompany contacted 7-Eleven but did not receive a response prior to publication.