A petition has been launched urging authorities to ban the ad. Photo / Supplied
A petition has been launched urging authorities to ban the ad. Photo / Supplied
An advertisement for the Cadbury Creme Egg has faced a backlash for its brief inclusion of a same-sex kiss.
The UK ad features a real-life gay couple sharing one of the popular treats with their mouths, part of a longer ad that highlights the varying ways that people consume their Creme Eggs.
The ad is part of Cadbury's celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Creme Egg, which they have named the 'Golden Goobilee'.
The petition was launched on conservative website CitizenGo and calls upon the UK's Advertising Standards Agency to withdraw the ad.
Labelling the kiss "a highly-charged sexually provocative act", the petition claims that the consumers have complained it is "disgusting and off-putting".
CitizenGo also features petitions to target women's reproductive rights and to boycott Sesame Street.
"By choosing to feature a same-sex couple, Cadbury's are clearly hoping to cause controversy and escape criticism, by claiming that any objections must be rooted in 'homophobia', but members of the LGBT community have also expressed their dislike of this campaign," the petition claims.
"Cadbury's are well aware of the religious significance of Easter. Therefore, they are trying to cause gratuitous offence to members of the Christian community during the most important feast in their calendar."
A petition has been launched urging authorities to ban the ad. Photo / Supplied
In a dog-whistle to the homophobic inference that there is a link between homosexuality and paedophilia, the petition also states: "Exposing children to sexualised content constitutes a form of grooming. It is well-known that children will often copy what they see on the screen."
The couple featured, Callum Sterling and Dale K Moran, are together in real life and Sterling took to social media to hit back at critics.
Posting a clip of a sexually-suggestive Maybelline ad from 1984 featuring Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter, Sterling argued: "So it's ok when an advert sexualises a woman, a caucasian woman, 37 years ago even, to benefit the male gaze and make other women feel inadequate if they do not live up to this beauty standard."
"But it's not okay, in 2021, to have an advert of a multi-racial (strike one) gay couple (strike two) on your screens for 10 seconds (strike three) eating/kissing/sexualised (strike four). Does anyone see how ridiculous this is?"
Sterling said he and his partner had been flooded with positive reactions and "the love we have received totally outweighs the fear-based negative comments".
He also called out critics who denied their own complaints were based in homophobia, such as Twitter user Phillip Hall.
I am not Homophobic but I just think the New Cadbury Egg advert to be shown on ITV is totally unnecessary. Showing two men passionately enjoying a Cream egg that Children love to eat will only confuse children as such a young age. Why?? pic.twitter.com/b7dZ5WTGQa
"'I'm not homophobic but ...' nah mate, you're dumb, and homophobic. At least admit it," Sterling wrote.
Cadbury has spoken out to defend the ad, releasing a statement to industry publication Ad Age.
"Cadbury has always been a progressive brand that spreads a message of inclusion, whether it is through its products or brand campaigns," the statement read.
"We are proud of our Golden Goobilee advert which celebrates the many ways that everyone can enjoy a Cadbury Creme Egg. To illustrate this and showcase the joy our products bring, a clip of a real-life couple sharing a Cadbury Creme Egg was included in the advert."
