Talking about sex is one of the most difficult conversations parents and children can have, so a Singaporean company has set out to reduce the embarrassment.
A commercial released by the Singapore telecoms company Circles.Life has stirred controversy for showing a mother respecting her son’s desire to watch pornography.
As part of an advertising campaign aimed at breaking norms and challenging stigmas, the 20-second clip received a mixed and confused response.
The video begins with a mother waking up to strange noises in the middle of the night.
She comes downstairs to see her son watching pornography on his phone.
In a bid to hide the phone, the son accidentally clicks “screen mirroring” and the explicit video broadcasts on the television instead.
The mother does not get upset or angry, she simply smiles and hands him a pair of headphones.
“Don’t stay up too late,” she says.
The video then moves to an on-screen caption that states: “Don’t be embarrassed. Do your own thing.”
Some viewers headed to the company’s YouTube channel to condemn the ad as inappropriate.
“There are a lot of families with young kids who watch on YouTube or the TV, and hearing this ad that comes up randomly makes everyone uncomfortable, especially the sound. This is NOT for kids. I don’t know how you got this approved,” said one online observer.
Others applauded the ad and left positive messages, such as: “What a supportive mum.”
The company’s official YouTube account left a reply explaining it was their intention to advocate for “the era of open-mindedness and carefully exploring curiosity”.
The commercial was part of the company’s “Do your own thing” campaign.
Two other less controversial short clips were released, which encouraged young people to treat all professions equally and to define success in more diverse ways.
“The mixed feedback for such a polarising topic was expected, ” Circles.Life said in a statement to the publication Marketing Interactive.
Ebony Ngieng, the company’s senior marketing manager said the advertisement aimed to showcase different takes on parenting, with an open-minded and unconventional reaction to an “awkward” situation.
The company’s earlier social research findings revealed that most Singaporeans across all age groups were found to favour open conversations about sex and sex education.
However, many people still avoid these topics due to fear of shame or being stigmatised.
Following the release of the ad, the media intelligence firm Meltwater reported a spike in mentions regarding Circles.Life.
The company is no stranger to stirring up debate and attracting attention with its bold marketing strategies.
In June 2021, it released a series of ads showcasing racial discrimination scenarios, which led to an apology after a public backlash.
In 2017, the company used the backdrop of global hunger to suggest consumers were “hungry” for cheap mobile data plans, which was criticised for dismissing a serious social issue with wordplay.
