Not a perfect match – the ad that doesn’t tell the whole story

Match.com recently ran a marketing campaign comprised of three clips on the social media platform TikTok showing a “day in the life” of a couple. The campaign was said to be based on market research of real life couples, and an unscripted advert campaign. 

A viewer complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that the clip was sexist and perpetuated harmful gender stereotypes.

The complained of footage showed clips of a couple in their home, and the woman bringing the man a drink whilst he had his feet up on a footrest and viewing his mobile telephone, before the woman went onto organise his socks and towels in the bathroom, and putting a football match on the television. The footage had a female voiceover throughout the ad providing a commentary including “Things that make him realise I’m a keeper. I will make him his protein shake after the gym” or “I always make sure he has a fresh towel and socks after his shower”. The footage ended with: “Find your keeper via Match. Go download the Match app today.”

Match.com explained in its representations to the ASA that:

• the campaign consisted of three short video clips, all published on the same day and with the intention that they would be viewed consecutively, that provided a storyline featuring the same couple and the complained of footage ought to be considered in the context of the three videos. Videos 2 and 3 showed small gestures carried out by the man for the woman, and gestures they did for one another. Match.com sought to argue that the three videos together showed a balanced and reciprocal view.
• The focus of the campaign was on small acts of kindness between couples that form part of a successful relationship.
• the advertising agency engaged by Match.com to create the advertising campaign had contacted real couples to ask for their feedback on thoughtful everyday meaningful gestures that they may undertaken in their own relationships. 
• Match.com maintained that the advert did not portray the woman in a subservient role or shouldering the responsibility of domestic chores, even though the woman was seen in a domestic setting, but that the couple were loving towards one another, and the male did not expect the gestures.

Match.com conceded that the clip, when viewed in isolation, did not convey the full story but maintained that the content did not cause serious or widespread offence. Match.com also pointed to their market research that had informed the campaign, and they had focused on a diverse group of couples in their marketing communications. 

Match.com believed that they had not breached the CAP Code but removed the ad from TikTok.

The ASA upheld the complaint. 

Since June 2019, it has formed part of the CAP Code that advertisements must not include nor reinforce gender stereotypes that are likely to cause serious harm, or offence. The CAP guidance permits ads featuring people undertaking gender-stereotypical roles, but care must be taken to avoid suggesting that stereotypical roles or characteristics were always uniquely associated with one gender, for instance women carrying out domestic chores.

An issue for Match.com was that all of the gestures performed by the woman were domestic chores. The ASA felt that the advertisement reinforced negative gender stereotypes, even if the advertisement was unscripted and based on real couple’s experiences. The actions of the woman were one-sided and not reciprocated; it was not referenced in the complained of footage that there was a second and third clip in which the gestures of kindness might be reciprocated. The ASA was concerned that the man was shown as passive whilst the woman performed domestic chores around him, and that the voiceover suggested the gestures were habitual rather than one-offs. This created an impression of an unequal relationship, with the acts carried out for the man’s benefit. The ASA was also concerned by the advertisement’s title “Things that make him realise I’m a keeper” that rather than suggesting a long successful relationship, reinforced the concept of subservience.

The ASA’s decision is of interest when considering running a campaign and that those parts of a campaign will be considered in isolation by the ASA. Had Match.com included within the clip, footage of both couples carrying out gestures for one another, that may have presented a more balanced advertisement. The decision is also of interest when considering that clips run on social media platforms such as TikTok often have a limited amount of time to convey your message.