A petition signed by more than 116,000 people has resulted in Wicked Campers officially withdraw ‘misogynistic marketing’ from its fleet of campervans.
The campervan company at the centre of a people-powered revolt over sexist van slogans has today issued an apology and committed to reviewing and removing sexist or misogynistic marketing from all vans in the next six months.
Paula Orbea, the Sydney school teacher who started the 110,000-strong change.org petition against Wicked Campers has said it’s a stunning people-power victory against sexism, with the result coming just four days after starting the petition.
In an email from Wicked Campers received by Ms Orbea, she says the company has offered an apology, and have now removed the sexist slogan which sparked the campaign (“In every princess, there’s a little slut who wants to try it just once”).
Beyond this, the company has committed to reviewing and removing insensitive slogans from all vans in the next six months.
“Wicked Campers Owner, John Webb wishes to acknowledge the prevailing community opinion by REMOVING the slogan in question and making a commitment over the coming six months to changing slogans of an insensitive nature,” the statement reads.
Wicked Campers have been at the centre of numerous ad watchdog complaints and social media backlashes in the past, but this is the first time the company has conceded the need to change its marketing direction.
“I’m overjoyed at the result, and commend Wicked Campers for eventually listening to consumers that their misogynistic slogans weren’t acceptable,” Ms Orbea said.
“The kind of sexism and misogyny on those Wicked Campers vans may seem trivial, but it’s not – it’s degrading to women, harmful for our children to consume, and condones a rape culture that sees one-in-three Australian women sexually assaulted in their lifetimes,” she added.
Karen Skinner, Australian Director of change.org says it’s an example of the growing success womens activism is having through online petitions.
“More than ever before, women are calling out everyday sexism and fighting back through social media and change.org petitions.”
“Online tools are giving women the ability to join together and achieve change incredibly quickly, in stark contrast to the individual complaints processes.”
