A new Maypole Bakery advert showing a woman holding a bread loaf against her naked breast caused a stir on social media today. But it certainly scored high for impact.
“Dear Maypole management, I will not buying any products from your outlets until this advert image is removed from your vans. It is sexist and distasteful, which is a pity, because your bread is not,” one reader said.
“Pics of bread and their other yummy products would be enough. Maypole hardly need advertising anyway,” a satisfied customer commented.
There was plenty of humour.
“Are you baking bras pls? Can I have mine gluten free?” asked one.
“Two nipples to go please,” said another.
Blogger Josanne Cassar noted a post about 10 incredible things that one can do with a slice of bread, adding, laconically that “using it as a bikini top is not one of them.”
The advert, which features on the bakery’s vans, carries the slogan ‘Bread that wins your heart,' to which somebody retorted that it would ‘eat your heart out’.
"That van is the breast thing since sliced bread," said another commenter.
Many hit out at the advert for being chauvinist.
A woman said she had written to Maypole telling them: 'I wonder what bread has to do with breasts as advertised on your vans. Maypole this surely is not the best way to advertise your brand and products unless to downgrade obviously or selling breast milk.'
And one said: Food and boobs, the recipe for a happy life. Can I fault it?
Other posts were too, unsavory, to reproduce.
MAYPOLE TO CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE MARKETING
In a statement following the reaction on social media, Maypole said the marketing campaign for LIV bread is part of an ongoing international campaign originally launched by Zeelandia group.
This company, it said provided the raw material required to produce the LIV bread. Zeelandia scientists, it explained, had formulated a bread mix that reduced cholesterol levels.
"By making use of the marketing visuals provided by the mother company, it was not Maypole’s intention to objectify women or men in this campaign. The international campaign also features a shirtless male model on the other side of Maypole’s vehicle."
"Following the number of comments we have received in the last few hours through the company’s social media page, it has become evident that the visual was interpreted as misogynist by some members of the public. In this regard, the company will be discussing an alternative campaign with its international supplier Zeelandia," the bakery said.
The company apologised to those who were offended.