The controversial advertisement, which featured the phrase, “Made-to-measure quality blinds… without having your eyes out! Blind envy starts here,” was accused of being offensive to people with visual impairments.
An image accompanying the text showed a person with paint splatters and stars over their eyes, adding to the insensitivity perceived by some viewers.
The advert was reported to the ASA by a severely sight-impaired complainant, who argued that the content trivialised blindness and could cause serious offence.
Before the campaign was pulled at the end of July, the advert had already been viewed by 182,000 users, resulting in 1.7 million impressions.
Company Defence or Defiance?
247 Home Furnishings, the parent company of 247Blinds, defended its campaign by stating that the phrase “having your eyes out” is commonly used to express disbelief or surprise.
They argued that when paired with “quality blinds,” it was meant to be humorous rather than offensive.
However, the ASA did not see it that way.
The regulator ruled that, when seen alongside the image, the phrase could be understood as making light of blindness in an offensive manner.
Consequently, the ASA banned the advert from appearing again in its current form and instructed 247 Home Furnishings to ensure their future advertisements do not cause serious or widespread offence, particularly on the grounds of disability.
Backlash from Disability Advocates
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) also expressed dismay over the ad.
Vivienne Francis, RNIB’s Chief Social Officer, labelled the ad “extremely disappointing” and a “tasteless representation of sight loss.”
Her comments underscore a growing sensitivity towards the portrayal of disabilities in advertising, where humour or wordplay can sometimes cross the line into offensiveness.
The debate over what constitutes humour versus harm continues, but one thing is clear: advertisers must tread carefully when navigating the fine line between clever wordplay and potential offence.
