Advertising in the UK is forbidden for PC hardware because it does not feature women

One British company has learned that it is not always wise to promote content according to the demographic statistics of the customer base.



Last fall, British PC Specialist, a computer hardware retailer, had a promotional program that included a TV spot with the message that their products were best for players, creators, musicians and generally those who stayed up late for their computers. Nothing disputable except that they were presented exclusively to men.

Eight people saw the video as harmful because it uses stereotypes and implies that only men are interested in technology and gaming. From PC Specialist, they defended themselves by saying that 87.5% of their customers were male, so they adjusted the campaign to that. They said omitting women from the promotional video did not suggest that they were not interested in technology.

The case was ultimately considered by the Advertising Standards Agency, and according to their conclusion, these days, PC Specialist has broken the rules and they should no longer be broadcast publicly. As they say, it is not forbidden that only male characters appear in the advertisement, but it strongly suggested that only persons of one gender can succeed in gaming, music making, programming and the like.