Ad description
A paid-for YouTube ad for a laser welding tool from the website Lpows.com, seen on 28 April 2025, featured on-screen text that stated, “Smart operation, even women can weld well. The built-in laser intelligent application system makes it easy for even novice operators to operate” and an image of a woman wearing a helmet. The video showed women using the laser welding tool as a voiceover described how to use it.
Issue
The complainant, who believed the ad perpetuated a harmful gender stereotype by suggesting that women were less skilled than men at mechanical or industrial tasks, challenged whether it breached the Code.
Response
Wuxi Zhan'ao E-commerce Co Ltd t/a Lpows.com did not respond to the ASA’s enquiries.
Assessment
The ASA was concerned by Wuxi Zhan’ao E-commerce Co Ltd's lack of response and apparent disregard for the Code, which was a breach of CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 1.7 (Unreasonable delay). We reminded them of their responsibility to provide a response to our enquiries and told them to do so in the future.
Upheld
The CAP Code stated that advertisements must not include gender stereotypes that were likely to cause harm, or serious or widespread offence. The joint CAP and BCAP “Advertising guidance on depicting gender stereotypes likely to cause harm or serious or widespread offence” said that gender-stereotypical roles included occupations or positions usually associated with a specific gender, while gender-stereotypical characteristics included attributes or behaviours usually associated with a specific gender. It further stated that ads that directly contrasted male and female stereotypical roles or characteristics needed to be handled with care, and that care should be taken to avoid suggesting that stereotypical roles or characteristics were always uniquely associated with one gender and care should be taken to avoid suggesting that stereotypical roles or characteristics were never carried out or displayed by another gender.
The ad featured on-screen text that stated, “Smart operation, even women can weld well. The built-in laser intelligent application system makes it easy for even novice operators to operate”. We considered that the statement “even women can weld well” implied that women were less skilled than men at performing mechanical tasks and that the laser welding tool was so easy to use, even women would be able to use it. We considered that statement, which was immediately followed by, “makes it easy for even novice operators to operate” was likely also to be understood to mean that women were novices at using mechanical tools.
We concluded that the ad included a gender stereotype that was likely to cause harm or serious offence and therefore breached the Code.
The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 4.1 and 4.9 (Harm and offence).
Action
The ad must not appear again in the form complained about. We told Wuxi Zhan’ao E-commerce Co Ltd t/a Lpows.com to ensure their advertising did not perpetuate gender stereotypes in a way that was likely to cause harm or serious offence. We referred the matter to the CAP Compliance team.
