A new commercial from Snickers sends the message that their candy bar will turn gay men into burly straight men. Talk about leaving a bad taste in your mouth…
The spot features Spanish influencer Aless Gibaja ordering a ‘sexy orange juice… with vitamins A, B, and C’ as he blows sassy kisses to the waiter. His friend at the table exchange muted glances before the waiter serves Gibaja an ice cream Snickers bar.
After a single bite, Gibaja is suddenly transformed into a bearded, stereotypically straight man.
“Better?” asks his friend. “Better,” he replies in a gruff voice.
“You’re not yourself when you’re hungry,” reads the ad’s tagline.
https://twitter.com/mariomnts/status/1423022490025086983
Spain’s Minister for Equality, Irene Montero, wondered on Twitter who might think it would be “a good idea to use homophobia as a business strategy.”
Me pregunto a quién le puede parecer una buena idea usar la homofobia como estrategia comercial.
Nuestra sociedad es diversa y tolerante. Ojalá aprendan a serlo también quienes tienen el poder para tomar las decisiones sobre lo que vemos y oímos en anuncios y programas de TV.
— Irene Montero (@IreneMontero) August 5, 2021
And Federación Estatal LGTB, an advocacy group in Spain, called the spot “shameful and regrettable,” adding, “If you need some training for next time, here we are.”
Es vergonzoso y lamentable que a estas alturas haya empresas que sigan perpetuando estereotipos y promoviendo la #homofobia y la #plumofobia. Si necesitáis algo de formación para la próxima vez, aquí estamos, #Snickers.
— Federación Estatal LGTB (@FELGTB) August 5, 2021
Once the clip went viral on Twitter, Snickers issued a statement announcing they would immediately end the campaign. The candy maker acknowledged the messaging “could be misinterpreted” and apologized for any “misunderstanding.”
They added the spot was only meant “to convey in a nice and humorous way that hunger can change your character.”
— Snickers España (@snickers_es) August 5, 2021