Twinings cleared over accusation advert was racist

9:30am Thursday 27th March 2008

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A LIGHT-hearted TV advert for Hampshire based Twinings tea in which three white women flirt with a young black American was today cleared of playing on negative racial stereotypes.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it had decided not to uphold a lone complaint from a viewer who believed the ad suggested black men were sexually promiscuous and existed to provide sexual services for white women.

The complainant, a woman who was not identified by the ASA, alleged that an ad for Lady Grey tea and another for Earl Grey, which also featured the black character, were both offensive and harmful.

In the plug for Earl Grey, Stephen Fry, pictured, is seen behind the counter of a tea shop as the black male, named Tyrone, writes a message on a blackboard informing customers that the drink "puts the zing in your ding-a-ling".

Dismissing the claims of racial bias, an ASA panel described the innuendo used to promote the aromatic beverages as unlikely to cause widespread offence.

The panel observed: "Although we acknowledged the innuendo was mildly sexual, we did not consider that it was reliant on the young man's ethnic origins or a racial stereotype.

"We noted the character of Tyrone was shown as an attractive, confident young man... clearly enjoying the attentions of the women.

Confidence-boosting' "We did not consider that his or the women's enjoyment of the situation implied that his character was there simply to provide sexual services for white women, but rather that he was a young man enjoying the confidence-boosting attentions of a group of women.

"We considered that Tyrone was shown as a positive character and, because neither ad was reliant on race for its humour, viewers generally were unlikely to believe the ads implied that black men were promiscuous or there to provide sexual services for white women."

Andover-based Twinings, which traces its history back to 1706, defended the ads, which first aired in October 2006, against the claim of racism.

The firm's advertising agency, Lowe, informed the ASA that the black character had been chosen as the "perfect foil" for Fry.