The Co-operative Group has apologised after being accused of sexism in its latest press ad.
Customers took to Twitter and Facebook to complain about the advert, which said: “Be a good egg. Treat your daughter for doing the washing up.”
The advert is part of the Co-op’s new Good Egg marketing campaign and received critical attention on social media for the gender stereotype.
Is for real @coopukfood @coopuk ? @EverydaySexism – have any females on your marketing team? It's blatantly sexist. #Lent #Easter #Notsofair pic.twitter.com/NIaaKfwsxw
— Mandy Marshall (@MandsLMarshall) April 5, 2017
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10158521677655252&set=o.312183814581&type=3
#everydaysexism at #coopuk don't sons do washing up. Is it just a girl thing? pic.twitter.com/H9II2VjK1L
— Melissa Newman (@newmel) April 4, 2017
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154219815220806&set=o.312183814581&type=3
Immediately, the Group issued an apology: “We are proud of our organisation’s equality and diversity and we are sorry and have changed the advert’s wording.”
It has now changed the wording of the ad to: “A very special egg for a very special person.”
As the Co-op Group announced its annual results, chair Allan Leighton said: “Nobody champions diversity more than the Co-op, which was the first to give women a vote well before it became legislation. It was a genuine error in our marketing team, which led to that ad. We apologised and we fixed it quickly.”
The campaign asks customers to share stories about someone they know who is “a good egg” for a change to receive one of the 800 gift packs the retailer is giving away.
