The ASA has upheld a complaint against Mondelez following the release of a Philadelphia advert featuring two new Dads who were so distracted by the food passing them on a restaurant conveyer belt that they failed to notice that their babies had also taken a spin on the conveyer belt.

"Don't tell Mum" said one of the Dads to his rescued child.

The image of a hapless, inattentive male parent is not a new one in advertising but it is in an image which is quite rightly now being challenged by consumers and the ASA.

The ASA considered that the ad in this case 'relied on the stereotype that men were unable to care for children as well as women and implied that the fathers had failed to look after the children properly because of their gender' and it was for this reason that the complaint was upheld and the ad was banned.

Modelez has been warned by the ASA to ensure their future advertising does not perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes. This serves as a reminder to all brands that gender stereotyping and the characters that we are all too familiar with (stressed out mother, incompetent father etc.) are no longer acceptable. Time to re-write those, quite frankly, boring narratives.