A lady in Singapore found herself in an awkward situation after one of Circle.Life’s recent advertisements aired on television while her family was around.
The advertisement showed a woman walking into the living room where her son was watching an explicit video on his phone.
Source: Circles.Life on YouTube
As the boy attempted to hide his phone, he accidentally turned on the screen mirroring function and broadcasted the steamy video on the TV.
Ms I, 28, shared with MS News that the advertisement popped up when she was watching a foreign TV drama series on YouTube with her parents.
Source: Circles.Life on YouTube
“Advertisements are very common so we didn’t think much of it until we realised the ad was displaying some mature content complete with the sounds of people panting in a sexual way,” she said.
“This was the first time I’ve seen this ad on YouTube or any other platforms, across all our electronic devices.”
Ms I said she was “horrified” that the advertisement was approved for airing.
After realising what was playing on the screen, Ms I said she and her parents were “frozen”.
As she came from a “pretty conservative country” where “mature/adult topics” are taboo, nobody acknowledged the video.
“I was still a bit shaken and had to leave the room for a while as it’s awkward to have seen such a thing along with my parents,” she said.
She noted that such ads on TV would “desensitise” children to mature content, making them feel that there’s nothing wrong with watching them on shared devices.
“Mature content and the topic of sex is definitely not something to be shamed… but it still remains a highly personal topic to [the] majority of us.”
The ad also received disapproving comments on YouTube, with one user expressing discontent that their kids watched it on YouTube.
Source: YouTube
Some users went as far as to call for a boycott.
Source: YouTube
However, not all of the feedback were negative.
A few users complimented it as a courageous choice, praising the telco company for portraying an issue seldom discussed.
Source: YouTube
Some said the ad presented a new take on parenting that netizens can learn from.
Source: YouTube
Speaking to MS News, a Circles.Life spokesperson said the advertisement is part of its new brand campaign, ‘Do Your Own Thing’, which aims to empower Singaporeans to “live life unrestricted” and “break away from conventional norms.”
“Through our research done in partnership with Millieu Insights, we found that Singaporeans across age groups are increasingly open to discussing critical topics like mental health, sex education, parental expectations and unconventional career paths,” the spokesperson said.
The company also conducted a survey, which showed that 46% of those aged 16 to 24 believed sex education should start from as early as primary school.
The spokesperson said that even though those from the age group are more willing to engage in conversations about sex with family and friends, they shun away from the topic due to “shame or being stigmatised”.
“Our motive is to bring attention to such topics and encourage open conversations about them,” they added.
Addressing the contents of the advertisement, the spokesperson said it showcases different takes on parenting and in particular, approaching an “uncomfortable” situation with an open-minded and unconventional reaction.
“We want to break the typical stereotypes and stigma around sensitive topics like sex and sex education, and encourage open conversations about such topics,” they said.
The company also admitted that it received feedback about the advertisement — a mix of “confusion, negative feedback, and support”.
“The mixed feedback for such a polarizing topic is expected,” Circles.Life said.
“Some will jump towards fixating on what the boy is doing rather than the mum’s response. Some judge the mum’s response as condoning inappropriate behaviour.”
However, the company argued that such a scene “could be in any movie [or] drama”.
Also read: Circles.Life Ad Says They’re A Proud S’porean Brand, Netizens Disapprove Of Direction
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Featured image adapted from Circles.Life on YouTube.
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