Job advert meme branded sexist sparking backlash

A job advert featuring a popular meme has been branded as sexist by the Sweden advertising ombudsman – the Register reports.

The meme, which first became popular in August 2017, has been dubbed the ‘distracted boyfriend’ meme. It shows a couple holding hands and walking together – but the man has turned to watch another attractive woman walk past, much to the disgust of his partner. People began to post amusing captions on the image, often with political themes.

Bahnhof AB, the firm responsible for the banned meme, apparently posted the picture to their Twitter page, labelling the spurned girlfriend ‘your current occupation,’ the boyfriend ‘you’, and the woman who catches the man’s attention ‘Bahnhof’. They were aiming to recruit salespeople, operations engineers and web designers, among other positions.

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However, the Register reports that the picture violates Sweden’s Article 4 of the International Chamber of Commerce's marketing rules, which say that ads should not discriminate on the basis of gender.