CHANNEL 4’S “BIGGER, FATTER, GYPSIER” ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN CONDEMNED BY ADVERTISING STANDARDS AUTHORITY AS IRRESPONSIBLE

From Howe and Co. Solicitors

PRESS CONFERENCE – 3rd October 2012 11:00 AM

At Basement, The Atrium, 4 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA

An adjudication by The Advertising Standards Authority Council (ASA) published on 3 October 2012 condemns the “Bigger, Fatter, Gypsier” advertising campaign that promoted Channel 4’s second series of the “Big Fat Gypsy Weddings” franchise, broadcast in February 2012.

National human rights law firm, Howe & Co, acted for the Irish Travellers’ Movement in Britain (ITMB) and members of the Irish Traveller community in bringing formal complaints to the ASA about Channel 4’s advertising campaign. The advertising and TV series was sponsored by Honda UK.

The full ASA adjudication is available from 00:01 am on Wednesday 3 October 2012 and can be reviewed here

The ASA adjudication upholds four complaints. The ASA found (direct quotes are from the adjudication):

a. In regard of Channel 4’s ad depicting a very young Traveller boy, the ASA found, “In relation to ad (a) we noted that the boy in the image was shown in close-up and had his lips pursed in a manner that we considered was likely to be seen as aggressive. We considered that negative image, when combined with the strap-line which suggested that such behaviour was "GYPSIER", would be interpreted by many members of the Gypsy and Traveller communities and some of the wider public to mean that aggressive behaviour was typical of the younger members of the Gypsy and Traveller community. We considered that implication was likely to cause serious offence to some members of those communities while endorsing the prejudicial view that young Gypsies and Travellers were aggressive. We therefore concluded that ad (a) was offensive and irresponsible.”


b. In regard of Channel 4’s ad depicting a minor female Traveller and a young Traveller woman, the ASA found “... we noted that they were heavily made-up and wearing low cut tops and we considered that, when combined with the strap-line and in particular the word "GYPSIER", the ad implied that appearance was highly representative of the Gypsy and Traveller community in a way that irresponsibly endorsed that prejudicial view and was likely to cause serious offence to the Gypsy and Traveller community.



c. That a very young Traveller boy was depicted in a Channel 4 ad “... in a way that was offensive and endorsed negative stereotypes about him and his community. We considered that ad reaffirmed commonly held prejudices about Gypsy and Traveller children in a way that was likely to cause distress and mental harm to children from those communities, including to the boy featured in the ad, by suggesting that was an acceptable way to portray him.”



d. In regard of a Channel 4 ad which featured a minor Traveller girl the ASA found that “... she was heavily made up, her bra was visible and that she was wearing a low cut top that revealed much of her cleavage and raised her breasts. Although we understood that the girl was depicted in her own choice of dress we considered that, in choosing that image for use in a poster, Channel 4 had acted irresponsibly by depicting a child in a sexualised way. For that reason we also considered that, irrespective of any consent Channel 4 may have held, the ad was also likely to be harmful to the girl featured.”



The ASA adjudication is a devastating blow to Channel 4’s reputation as a responsible national public service broadcaster. The ASA’s findings regarding the harm to children and the sexualised depiction of a minor girl must be addressed by Channel 4 at the highest levels.



A press conference will be held by Howe & Co Solicitors with representatives of the ITMB and members of the Gypsy and Traveller community, in the Atrium restaurant at 4 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA, at 11:00 am on Wednesday, 3 October. Members of the press and media are invited, and there will be short statements and questions. Thereafter, people will be available for interviews.



David Enright (a partner with Howe & Co Solicitors) said:-



“Sadly, racial discrimination against Travellers and Gypsies is seen as the last “socially acceptable” form of racism in modern Britain. Appallingly, Channel 4’s advertising campaign promoted and endorsed negative prejudicial views. This is a stunning, landmark victory for Travellers and Gypsies, who are all too often portrayed negatively in the press and media. The billboard campaign was harmful to children and fell very short of the conduct required of any serious public broadcaster, especially when it depicted a Traveller child in a sexualised way. Senior executives within Channel 4 must consider their positions. The sponsors of the television programme, Honda UK, whose name appeared below these advertisements, should also consider whether it is happy to be associated with a such irresponsible and harmful advertising, especially where children may have been harmed”.



Martin Howe (a partner at Howe & Co and a Trustee of the ITMB) stated:-



“It is incredibly irresponsible for Channel 4 to engage in a campaign promoting the sexualisation of young Gypsy and Traveller girls, and the demonization of young Gypsy and Traveller boys. We have all recently read of the horrors faced by children in Rochdale and all followed the story of Megan Stammers in France. It says something deeply disturbing about the state of our broadcast media when vulnerable Gypsy and Traveller children are targeted for commercial greed. Channel 4’s direct endorsement of negative stereotypes seriously offends and damages an already vulnerable and excluded community. Those at Channel at 4 involved in positively promoting such prejudicial views should immediately reconsider their suitability to be part of a mainstream public broadcaster. I call on the Children’s Commissioner, the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Culture, Media and Sports Select Committee to carefully consider what has happened here to ensure lessons are learnt and a vulnerable community is protected from such predatory practises”.

Notes to Editors

At the beginning of 2012, Channel 4 launched a nationwide advertising campaign, including billboards and posters, to promote their “Big Fat Gypsy Weddings” series. All the adverts carried the strap line “Bigger Fatter Gypsier”.

The ASA received 372 complaints from individuals and representative groups, speaking on behalf of large numbers of Travellers and Gypsies, alleging that the advertisements were racist, racially denigrating and had the potential to incite racial hatred.

Howe & Co are a well-known campaigning, human rights law firm. They represented the Gurkhas, alongside Joanna Lumley, in their campaign for settlement rights. Most recently, the firm brought a legal challenge on behalf of residents in east London opposing MOD plans to place explosive missiles on the roof of their tower block to protect the Olympic Park during the Olympic Games.

Contacts:

David Enright (Howe & Co Solicitors) 0208 840 4688 – 0798 4465923

Martin Howe (Howe & Co Solicitors and ITMB Trustee) – 0208 840 4688 – 077109 21256