'Racially insensitive' ad taken off air

An athletics sportswear company has withdrawn an advertisement after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld complaints it was racially insensitive.

The ASA received 73 complaints about advertisements aired by Australian company Skins on TV One.

The advertisement had a number of black athletes saying things like "If you look the way a black male is built, we're more muscular, stronger. You want to be like us?"

One complainant said they found it "offensive" because it reinforced people's beliefs that different human traits were linked to race.

This caused resentment between different races and cultures, the complainant said.

Skins replied saying they never "intended to offend".

It said the advertisement "recognises and celebrates the amazing accomplishments of black athletes throughout the world".

The ASA complaints board in a majority decision upheld the complaints and said while the intent of the advertisement had been to show positive images of world class athletes competing at their peak, the advertisement crossed the line by using a racial group and provocative statements to sell a product and had caused serious and widespread offence.

It also found the advertisement in breach of the code for people in advertising, as it was not appropriate to use a racial stereotype to "simplify the process of communication to sell a product".

Skins said it would comply with the ruling and remove the advertisement.

However, Skins said it was reserving the right to appeal the decision, and was reviewing its options.

It said it had deliberately adopted a marketing strategy that was based on "challenging traditional methods".

-NZPA