An advertisement from Transport for London’s new campaign, “Act Like a Friend,” has been banned for reinforcing negative stereotypes about black men. The Facebook ad aimed to encourage bystanders to intervene if they witness sexual harassment or hate crimes on the TfL network. However, it faced backlash for its portrayal of a black male character verbally harassing a young girl, while a white male friend sat nearby, which some viewers found harmful and offensive.
A complaint was filed with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) by a viewer who argued that the ad perpetuated negative racial stereotypes about black teenage boys. According to the ASA, the advertisement depicted a scenario in which the black male was the sole aggressor, contributing to a damaging narrative linking black males to threatening behavior.
TfL responded to the ASA’s investigation, acknowledging that both characters in the ad displayed intimidating behavior. The ad was part of a series of three short clips designed for social media, derived from a longer two-minute film. The other two clips featured a white male committing a hate crime against a black woman and another white male targeting another white male. TfL indicated that the average Facebook user would see a mix of these ads multiple times, estimating the chance of encountering the controversial version alone at around 2 percent.
Despite the intent to represent London’s diverse population, the ASA concluded that the ad, when viewed in isolation, reinforced harmful stereotypes about black men as perpetrators of aggression. The ASA stated, “Although we understood that TfL had intended to present a range of diversity and scenarios across their campaign, we considered the ad, when seen in isolation, had the effect of perpetuating a negative racial stereotype about black men as perpetrators of threatening behaviour.”
As a result, the ASA ruled that the ad could not be displayed again in its current format. They instructed TfL to ensure that future advertisements are socially responsible and do not perpetuate harmful stereotypes.
In response to the ruling, a TfL spokesperson expressed regret that the advert did not meet their usual high standards when viewed independently. The spokesperson emphasized the organization’s commitment to accurately reflecting London’s diverse population and ensuring that their services are fair, accessible, and inclusive.
TfL acknowledged that the shortened advert had been removed from circulation and reiterated its dedication to upholding the ASA’s standards across all campaigns. The organization is focused on promoting a culture of support for passengers targeted by hate crimes, sexual offenses, and harassment on their transport network.
