Department store Myer has defended its ‘Share the Joy’ Humbug Christmas campaign which three complainants claimed promotes anti-social and destructive behaviour.
The complaints were eventually dismissed according to an Ad Standards Community Panel, but not before Myer swooped in to defend them.
The video campaigns were launched across both free-to-air and on-demand television, and across social media, in 60-second, 30-second and 15-second formats.
In them, an animated purple creative (Humbug) knocks a Christmas tree over, bumps off Christmas decorations in a garden, and pulls the power to turn off Christmas lights.
A child is watching all this from a window, laughing.
The Humbug then sets fire to a Santa decoration, and then stomps on a Christmas bauble and hurts its foot. The child takes a present to the Humbug who opens the present and finds a pair of boots.
The Humbug and the child are seen stomping and smashing Christmas baubles together.
One complainant wrote to Ad Standards, highlighting the stomping on Christmas baubles and claiming that if children copy this behaviour without shoes, they risk injuring themselves.
“Additionally, the destruction of potential (sic) other people's property is already a problem with home owners, both of festive and everyday items,” the complaint read.
“The creature is depicted willfully damaging someone else's private property by willfully smashing glass ornaments over a driveway which in itself is dangerous to both it and the users of the driveway.
“The driveway and property are not the 'creatures' and further to this it is 'injured' due to having bare feet.
“I think this would encourage the damaging of decorative display especially at this time of year as well as a disregard for others property and safety.”
The other two complainants shared similar sentiments, with one calling it an anti-Christian advert.
In response, Myer wrote that its Christmas campaign is intended to be a fantastical account or representation of a typical cohort of people who don’t enjoy the festive season.
“The creative approach of the ad was to depict the Humbug’s actions as fantastical and playful, with no realistic portrayal of harm or damage,” Myer wrote. “The character’s behaviour is not intended to be perceived as dangerous or violent but rather as an innocent, humorous display of holiday mischief as part of the character’s journey.
“The overall message emphasises that kindness and friendship can help Humbug—and by extension, everyone—feel included and appreciated during the festive season.”
According to Myer, the advertising campaign did not contravene the AANA Code of Ethics and the AANA Children’s Advertising Code.
The Ad Standards Community Panel then weighed in, confirming that the advert was given a ‘G’ rating from ClearAds - meaning that it can be played at any time of day except during children and preschool-rated shows.
A minority of the panel considered that the depiction of property damage, including setting something on fire and deliberately breaking things, was a depiction of violence.
The majority of the panel, however, “considered that the advertisement was humorous and unrealistic, and there was no sense of menace or threat”, leading them to conclude that it did not contain violence.
A minority of the panel also considered that smashing ornaments without eye protection is dangerous, especially if they are made of glass.
“The minority of the panel also considered that showing someone deliberately setting fire to a decoration is depicting behaviour which would be unsafe if copied,” the case report read.
“The majority of the panel considered that the advertisement features an animated pink creature and is clearly fantastical and unlikely to be seen as realistic behaviour.
“The panel considered that the advertisement is unlikely to be found to be encouraging or condoning unsafe behaviour.”