This is what Sussex freshers think of THAT gross beer matt in their welcome packs
Share This Article:
We spoke to Sussex fresher, Teeva Tamali, who received the beer mat in her welcome pack and was “appalled" by the product.Young woman is accepted to the University of Sussex and this is in her welcome bag. WTF @SussexUni Do you have any respect for women? This is sexual harassment. pic.twitter.com/IeKzvHX4KC
— Untameable Shrews (@untamableshrews) September 20, 2018
- Article continues below...
- More stories you may like...
- Universities must do more to tackle the BAME attainment gap, report says
- Experts and locals warn that new Chinchero airport may destroy Machu Picchu
- Research reveals the top 10 things holding back women at work
Speaking to TNS, another female fresher at the University of Sussex, said:
“I did a double take when I saw it! This would have been seen by designers, ad regulators, the university and the students packing the boxes. A single complaint during production would have surely gotten this pulled from the boxes. I can’t believe no one spoke up?”
The beer mats wording refers to whether you "spit or swallow". Many have reacted with shock that the the marketing team even managed to come up with the imagery and wording for these beer matts.As a marketer, this campaign is a total disgrace. Yes #BrushBox has some limited brand recognition but for all the wrong reasons. Who will proclaim or show they buy their product. Yes, I also assume that a young group of non-informed males came up with the campaign
— Conor C (@Capital_FinServ) September 20, 2018
Imagine being a bright and eager female student excited to have been accepted into one of the UK's leading research universities (@SussexUni) and you find this in your welcome bag: https://t.co/wfKdr0ODd4
— RaquelRosarioSánchez (@8RosarioSanchez) September 19, 2018
Sexism is sexism even when it's "a joke." Women deserve better than this. pic.twitter.com/Q8epaGuvM8
Angry that @SussexUni would put this in women’s welcome packs. It makes young women feel objectified & fearful of what is expected of them. There are a million ways to get the message of oral health across that don’t make women feel like receptacles for men. This is porn culture. https://t.co/T9kM9NTHNn
— TheHeroineCollective (@TheHeroineColl) September 20, 2018
This is totally unacceptable material to be included anywhere let alone for new students arriving - what does it say about the environment they are coming into - @SussexUni https://t.co/6ITKlAAKW3
— Prof Clare McGlynn (@McGlynnClare) September 20, 2018
We asked Brushbox, who descirbe their toothbrushes as being "trendy (and) eco friendly", what they were thinking. They told us: "We are really sorry if anyone has been offended by the promotional image used on the beer mat which was distributed to Universities. We now realise it was inappropriate and misguided of us to use this type of image as a way to raise awareness of dental health issues.
“We completely understand that the image could be deemed as derogatory to women and for that we are truly sorry - this was never our intention, and we take full responsibility for any upset it has caused.
The welcome boxes are provided by Dig-In who supply boxes to universities and student accommodation providers across the UK, including Glasgow, Keele, Plymouth and other cities. They have assured consumers that the Brushbox beer matts will now not be included in the remaining 400,000 boxes it is distributing.
“Dig-In would like to apologise unreservedly for its part in distributing Brushbox’s promotional material. This insert, distributed in our freshers boxes, does not in any way reflect our high ethical standards and we have put immediate measures in place to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” the company said.
In a statement, Sussex University Student Union apologised for the sexist Brushbox material in the welcome box. They said: "The Student’s Union at Sussex does not condone the inappropriate material distributed on behalf of Brushboxes which was found in the Dig-In Boxes delivered to all Freshers this year." They also described how their Students’ Union "promotes equality and providing a safe and inclusive environment for all, and we are let-down by the events that have occured".