An online dating advert has been banned by UK regulators after being accused of featuring “sexist and negative gender stereotypes”.
The ad was posted to social media site Reddit by US-based dating service Seeking.com, a trading name of a firm called W8 Tech Cyprus.
It depicted an older businessman who throws away a photo of a woman in favour of four young women in bikinis.
The ad then displayed the text: “Be the catch” as the women fall over giggling. The video concluded with the message: “Date on Seeking.com. JOIN FREE…4:1 women to men in real life”.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received complaints that the ad was sexist and perpetuated negative stereotypes.
Seeking.com claimed the video was “intended to be a humorous representation” of their dating service and said it did not believe it was sexist or stereotyping, arguing it was “written and directed by women”.
It argued that while the ad may have been “too much for some”, it did not believe that portraying a particular dating preference should be “the basis for removing content”.
The ASA ruled that the ad was indeed portraying harmful stereotypes of young women being infatuated by an older man of a higher status.
The regulator said the ad suggested the contribution of women was limited to their youth and physical attraction.
The ad has been banned and the company has been told to ensure it does not portray any other sexist or negative gender stereotypes in future marketing.
Seeking.com said it would abide by the ASA’s findings and has removed the ad.
The British advertising regulator cracked down on sexism in advertising in 2019 with the introduction of a new code of practice regarding gender stereotypes.
Under the code, the ASA has banned ads for Philadelphia cream cheese and Volkswagen, among others.
Founded in 2006, Seeking.com is self-described as a “luxury” dating service. The site has garnered a reputation for facilitating “sugar daddy” arrangements in which older, wealthy men exchange money with young women for attention.
The company was initially founded as SeekingArrangement.com and rebranded in 2022 as part of a strategy shift that saw founder Brandon Wade step down as CEO.
