Snickers apologises for ‘homophobic’ advert following backlash

The company has apologised for ‘any misunderstanding’ surrounding the advertisement

(Shutterstock / Pavlovska Yevheniia)

Snickers Spain has pulled a TV advertisement that was criticised for perpetuating homophobia.

In the 20-second advert, Spanish influencer Aless Gibaja is shown eating a Snickers ice cream before transforming into a bearded man with a low voice.

Mr Gibaja is shown at a beach bar with a friend before he asks for a “sexy orange juice with vitamins A, B and C”.

The waiter looks confused before offering him a Snickers ice cream. Mr Gibaja takes a bite and then transforms into the bearded man.

The friend asks: “Better?” to which the man nods and replies: “Better,” replies the man.

Then, the Snickers slogan flashes onto the screen: “You’re not yourself when you’re hungry.”

The video quickly went viral, with many people criticising its implication.

“Snickers Suggests A Bite Of Their Bar Can Make You Straight,” tweeted one person.

Meanwhile, the State Federation of Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals said it was “shameful and unfortunate that there are companies that continue to perpetuate stereotypes and promote homophobia” in a tweet.

Irene Montero, Spain’s minister for equality, also criticised the ad: “I wonder who would think it is a good idea to use homophobia as a business strategy,” she wrote on Twitter.

Now, Snickers Spain has pulled the advert and apologised “for any misunderstanding” that may have been caused by the campaign.

In a statement posted online, the company added: “At no time was it intended to stigmatise or offend any person or collective.”

A spokesperson for Mars Wrigley, the company which owns the Snickers brand, added: “We would like to whole heartedly apologise for any harm caused by a recent advert for Snickers Ice Cream in Spain.

“We recognise that we got it wrong and have removed the online content immediately. We take equal rights and inclusion seriously, we want a world where everybody is free to be themselves and we believe that as an employer and advertiser we have a role and a responsibility to play our part in creating that world.

“We will take the opportunity to listen and learn from this mistake and do better in the future.”