Jack in the Box Tone-Deaf Advertisement

Jack in the Box is an American fast food restaurant chain that went under fire last month due to a advertisement seemingly downplaying the #MeToo movement. An article from Adweek called it one of the “most tone-deaf ads of the #metoo era,” by celebrating sexual innuendos in the workplace. The nearly 60 second commercial advertised the new teriyaki bowls by having a fictional executive named Jack reference them as testicles. The most telling moment, Adweek said was how a lawyer attempted to explain why the campaign was inappropriate yet Jack could not comprehend what the fuss was about. The company responded, saying, “This ad is not diminishing any movement, and we stand firmly against any form of harassment and value those who have the guts to combat it.” An article from Business Insider added that many consumers were unhappy and expressed their complaints on Twitter.

David Griner from Adweek ended the article saying the focus was no longer on the food because the company chose, “To place it in a workplace, [have] it come from the boss and even [drop] in a lawyer to sorry-not-sorry acknowledge what a tone-deaf idea this is.” I think this ad went to far. Juvenile humor is completely fine to use, but when it is sexualized and normalized in the workplace, in any situation, then it becomes something more than what the company attempts to advertise. It does not have to make a statement, but normalizing it allows others to perceive it as okay, and possibly, probably, replicate it.