The Cannes Lions, a French festival that presents awards related to the advertising industry, came under fire this year for hosting a party to which "attractive females and models only" were invited. Former advertising executive Cindy Gallop called out how sexist this was in a tweet.
It's 2016, @vaynermedia @thrillist. This is not how you party at @cannes_lions. #canneslions #changetheratio pic.twitter.com/jF50tdPe0p
— Cindy Gallop (@cindygallop) June 22, 2016
As if that weren't enough of a PR disaster, Gallop also pointed out that this aspirin ad won a bronze award there — and that it's rapey AF. She also called out the male-dominated advertising industry that chose to produce and celebrate it.
Don't use this to sell aspirin, male-dominated ad industry, & don't award it, male-dominated juries. #canneslions pic.twitter.com/WRo46Txygz
— Cindy Gallop (@cindygallop) June 23, 2016
The ad was created by Brazilian ad agency AlmapBBDO for Bayer, according to Brand Equity.
We're not even sure what it's saying about aspirin. We do know what it's saying about filming someone having sex without their consent, though: that it's funny.
Based on people's reactions, it seems like the ad's message about rape culture came out far clearer than its message about aspirin...if there ever was one.
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Nope. This Aspirin ad that took bronze at #CannesLions isn't rapey at all pic.twitter.com/zPSJPivGXD
— Christopher (@chrstphr_) June 23, 2016
I don't get it. I mean, I get the "joke," but how does it sell Aspirin? It's a bad ad, even if it wasn't offensive. https://t.co/XK6K0TsOe1
— Adam Snider (@ink_slinger) June 23, 2016
We don't know if we'd award this one with "most misogynistic" or "most confusing."