Thai Ikea ad angers transgender groups
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Watch video; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxtaTn8zSwg
A recent Ikea ad airing in Thailand has been described as "negative" and "stereotypical" by local transgender activists.
Entitled “Luem Aeb,” or “Forgot to Keep Hidden”, the ad features a middle-aged man and his partner, whose voice drops to a more masculine tone when she sees the store's sale items. The partner starts carrying heavy boxes and the man runs away.
The Thai Transgender Alliance has voiced anger at how the ad, which has been broadcast on Bangkok's transit system, portrays transgender people.
"The transgender content of the advertisement is negative and stereotypical in nature,'" wrote the Thai Transgender Alliance in an open letter to the Swedish retailer.
In response, IKEA Group spokeswoman Ylva Magnusson told the Wall Street Journal, “we want everyone to feel welcome to our stores and we apologize if it [the ad] is seen as negative.”
Ikea's global expansion has faced criticism in the past, most notably for deleting images of women from the Saudi version of its furniture catalogue, a move the company said it regrets.
Comparing the Swedish and Saudi versions of the catalogue, free newspaper Metro showed that women had been airbrushed out of otherwise identical pictures showcasing the company's home furnishings.
The report raised questions in Sweden about Ikea's commitment to gender equality, and the company released a statement expressed "regret" over the issue.