Australia's advertising complaints handling body Ad Standards has reported recreational vehicle rental agency Wicked Campers to the South Australian transport department due to a complaint about a transphobic slur featured on one of its vehicles.
Wicked Campers has been in a long-running feud with the advertising watchdog, which has received swarms of complaints over the years for offensive slogans on vehicles.
In 2017, the Queensland government moved to allow for the deregistration of vehicles which failed to comply with the Advertisers Code of Ethics within 14 days of being notified.
However, the controversy has returned.
The vehicle in question this time has a SA registration - S299 BTJ - and features the slogan - "Back in my day blowin' a tranny was car trouble".
The Wicked Camper in question.
The complaint submitted to Ad Standards:
"This slogan is a strong transphobic slur that is very offensive. Trans young people are at very high risk for poor mental health, self-harming and suicide attempts.
"Around 3 in every 4 trans young people have experienced anxiety or depression. Four out of 5 trans young people have ever engaged in self-harm, and almost 1 in 2 trans young people have ever attempted suicide (48%). This is primarily because of how the world perceives and treats trans people.
"Having a vehicle driving around with a transphobic slur is perpetuating this. Two days after seeing a social media post showing this vehicle was still on the streets my son attempted suicide.
"These messages do have an effect on vulnerable people."
Wicked Campers did not provide a response to the complaint.
Regardless, the Ad Standards Community Panel found that the slogan is derogatory and vilifying towards transgender individuals and considered that the intended joke would not be considered humorous or acceptable by most reasonable adults. And breached Section 2.1: Advertising or Marketing Communication shall not portray people or depict material in a way which discriminates against or vilifies a person or section of the community on account of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, sexual preference, religion, disability, mental illness or political belief.
The Panel also found that the advertisement did not treat a sexual reference with sensitivity to the relevant broad audience. And breached Section 2.4: Advertising or Marketing Communications shall treat sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity to the relevant audience.
However, the advertiser has not provided a response to the upheld determination.
Therefore, Ad Standards will refer the matter to the SA Department of Infrastructure and Transport, in accordance with the provisions of the South Australian Statutes Amendment (Transport Portfolio) Act 2021.
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