An Instagram advertisement from brewer Good Folk has been removed for breaching AANA's discrimination or vilification code.
The ad features a close-up image of a black can being held by a woman. The caption for the post says, "Once you go black..."
The complaint submitted to Ad Standards raised concerns of racism.
"This has incredibly racist connotations by the phrase “once you go black”. I am appalled that someone would think this was acceptable in this day and age," the complaint stated.
The Ad Standards Panel noted that the phrase “once you go black” was a shortened version of the well-known saying “once you go black you never go back”.
A reference to the stereotype that once “you” (typically as a white person) have sex with a person of colour you will find it so enjoyable you won’t want to have sex with anyone from another (typically your own) race.
The panel considered that this statement is a form of fetishisation based on race. The panel considered that this discriminates against people of colour by dehumanising them and reducing them to objects of sexual desire and therefore breaches Section 2.1 of the Code.
In response, Good Folk Brewing immediately deleted the text of the ad.
"In no way did we set out to offend anyone. It was a play on words about our black beer and not in anyway racist towards people," the advertiser said.
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