Brussels lawmaker files complaint over hamburger advertisement

Nawal Ben Hamou, the Brussels state secretary for equal opportunity, is to file a complaint over a hamburger advertisement that she said incited violence against women.

She said she would file the complaint with the Jury for Ethical Practices in Advertising, which regulates the advertising industry, on the grounds that the advertisement was misogynist.

“This is a disgusting and irresponsible advertisement,” Hamou told Bruzz. “This shows that we need to ramp up the fight against domestic violence targeted at women and against sexism.”

The Bicky Burger advertisement, which has already been pulled from the brand’s social media channels, showed a man hitting a woman because she gave him a burger in a box that wasn’t the right colour. The advertisement, which was posted to Facebook, aimed to make clear that a real Bicky Burger always comes in a green box.  

The advertisement quickly drew outrage on social media platforms and three-hundred complaints have already been lodged with the Jury for Ethical Practices over the advertisement since it was posted to Facebook yesterday.

Because GoodLife Foods, the company that owns the Bicky Burger brand, is based in the Netherlands, the Jury for Ethical Practices has stated it will pass on the complaints it’s received to the Stichting Reclame Code, its Dutch counterpart.

Sold in most Belgian and Dutch fry shops, the Bicky Burger is a type of burger with a distinctive combination of three sauces, topped off with fried onion.

Written by Linda A. Thompson

Photo courtesy Bicky Burger Facebookpage