A complaint to the ASB called the ad “biased, judgemental and bigoted” and asked why Hungry Jack’s apparently prefers the “average person” to the “alternative youth” as a customer.
Hungry Jack’s responded to the complaint by claiming that its commercial focuses on promoting the Hungry Jack’s Chicken TenderGrill burger as being a healthier, “less naughty”, alternative to regular fast food. It said that the portrayal of a contrast between “naughty” and “nice” had been misinterpreted as “a negative portrayal of the alternative style”.
The ASB considered that the advertisement does present two stereotypes but decided that the community was unlikely to interpret the commercial’s message as a negative portrayal of either type of young woman. The complaint was dismissed.
