Less than a week ago Nando’s launched their popular #Diversity campaign, which celebrates SA’s rich cultural heritage. Shortly afterward, local channels banned the television ad, which they claimed “trivialises xenophobia” and “could be deemed offensive”. Nando’s are not having it.

Freedom of expression took another blow recently when local broadcasters SABC, e.tv, DStv and M-Net all banned the commercial.

“I’m puzzled by how the media owners have actually banned the commercial, they’ve completely misunderstood it, and I’m incredibly disappointed because I think it says a lot about freedom of speech and freedom of expression in South Africa,” said Quinton Cronje, Nando’s Marketing Director.

“In an ideal world I don’t think that the ad deserves to be pulled off air and I want to fight first and foremost against it being pulled off air.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it had received “some complaints” about he new ad, however details were no disclosed.

“I’ve heard there are two complaints that have come through but I was unaware before that there were complaints. My first course of action would be to fight those two complaints via the ASA and then go back to the broadcasters with that,” said Cronje.

Judging by the initial public reaction, Cronje believes that the majority of people understood the commercial and saw what the goal was.

The general public, when you have a look at websites and blogs and Facebook comments, has understood the complexity of the commercial.

It’s an anti-xenophobic stance that Nando’s is trying to take; trying to rally South Africans against xenophobia and against intolerance.

Cronje says that Nando’s has something in the pipeline to address the ban more publicly which will most likely be drenched in their signature style.

We always plan once something like this happens. But I’m just incredibly surprised that the broadcasters have pulled the ad because in my opinion they don’t have the right to do so,

If only the broadcasters would’ve taken the Santam route.

Ironically, the controversy caused by the ban will most likely garner Nando’s even more press. Lovely how these things turn out.

[Source: News24]