Whinging Poms No More

Until now, in Australia’s vocabulary, the words whinging and Pom have gone together like “caught & bowled” or “how & zat” – but perhaps no more. Complaints from an angry Englishman have led to the withdrawal of a radio advert for beer.

The Advertising Standards Board banned a Saatchi & Saatchi ad featuring a group of Englishmen whinging and moaning to the tune of Land of Hope and Glory.

The Board said the ad for Tooheys New Super Cold negatively stereotyped and demeaned the British, and found it to be in breach of section 2.1 of the Advertiser Code of Ethics dealing with vilification based on nationality.

The theme of the ad campaign had been “Tooheys New Supercold - It’s a Pom’s Worst Nightmare” or, alternatively, “Tooheys New Supercold - Cold Enough to Scare a Pom”.

The ad played on the belief that Englishmen can only drink warm beer.

Last month the board had dismissed complaints about billboards for the same beer, ruling the term “Pom” on its own was a playful and affectionate one that characterised the rivalry between the two nations. Addition of the “whinging” word was the problem.

Dave Thomason from the group British People Against Racism, who laid the complaints, has said he is prepared to take his case over the word “Pom” all the way to the United Nations to prevent its derogatory usage in Australia.

BPARD, which has a committee of 14 and branches in Perth and Melbourne, does not want Pom banned from general usage, but Mr Thomason believes there is an agenda in the media to take insult to new heights.

Tooheys marketing director Paul Foster said: “I’m a Pom and I’m not offended. All my mates who are Poms are not offended - we can whinge with the best of them.”

“We can respect certain groups of people have certain views and they’re entitled to them but most people in the community don’t see it as an offensive word. It’s seen as a term of endearment between two great rival sporting nations.”