'BIRD' IS OFFENSIVE

A JOBURG Billboard showing two women in a car with the headline “not your average birdies” has been ruled offensive, according to the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB).

The ad, placed near a golf course, was for the real estate agency Chas Everitt.

The ARB said in a statement: “The use of the term ‘birdie’ constitutes negative gender portrayal. This advertisement is also offensive... as sexism is a problem that affects both women and broader society.”

The decision followed an official complaint that there was “no mention of property on the board nor images that connect them [the two women] in some way to the work [of real estate agents]”.

Chas Everitt, in its response detailed in the ruling, said that “the term ‘birdies’ in the advertisement refers both to the agents depicted therein specifically [not all women, or people generally] and the golfing scoring term.”

It said it was a play on words since the ad was placed near a golf course and “birdie” was a “desirable score in golf... therefore not offensive to women”.

Additionally, the company argued that “the colloquial use of ‘bird’ is similar to the use of ‘bloke’ when referring to men”.

However, the regulatory board said that the advert objectified women and referred to them as animals.