Al-Ahram Beverages Company referred to prosecution for ad deemed offensive to Armed Forces

Al-Ahram Beverages Company was referred to the prosecution after the company’s Birell Facebook page published an advertisement deemed offensive to Egypt’s Armed Forces, the official Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) said on Saturday.

The ad showed a young man holding a military service certificate, with the word “exempt” on it in red, next to “the dream,” with the caption. “The drink of those who dream of being exempt from Egypt’s military service.”

Head of the CPA Atef Yaaqoub said the ad constitutes a “flagrant offense against a state institution and violates national principles and social traditions,” in a statement published by Aswat Masriya news website.

In an earlier statement, the CPA demanded the company remove the ad, which it did, publishing an official apology on October 19: “The company’s management affirms that the ad was published without following the traditional managerial approvals, as it violates the company’s principles of not linking its advertising campaigns with any state institution,” the statement read.

Despite the official apology, Yaaqoub said the referral to prosecution is “a clear message to all companies that there is zero tolerance for any company or institution that deliberately violates the law,” adding that the ad inappropriately depicts young people dreaming of giving up their military duties and escaping from the protection of their country.

The ad triggered a strong wave of anger among social media users, who deemed it insulting to the Armed Forces. Social media users called for a boycott campaign against Birell, with the hashtag #قاطع_بيريل (boycott Birell) trending on social media.

“When the slogan of a product is ‘be a man,’ it is targeting effeminate men. This is why I’ve boycotted it since the beginning,” one user Tweeted.

لما يكون مشروب السلوجان بتاعة استرجل يبقي بيكلم مخنثين مش رجالة عشانة كدة انا مقاطعة من اول مانزل أصلا #قاطع_بيريل

— سعدوكس™ (@theSadox) October 18, 2016

Some deemed Birell, “the drink of traitors.”

https://twitter.com/retag25n/status/788514547581739008

Others published a list of Al-Ahram Beverages Company products to boycott.

#هنحميها_من_الخونة . #مقاطعه_بيريل . هذه هي منتجات شركة الأهرام . قاطعوها pic.twitter.com/IiKfx4GpH0

— 𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝑳𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 |#⁦| ماستر لوكال ⁦🇪🇬 (@MasterLocalZone) October 18, 2016

Birell’s advertisements have caused controversy in the past, with several of its campaigns deemed sexist and offensive. In one ad, the company asked men who wear skinny jeans to change their names to “Maysa,” a female name.

The CPA banned a number of Ramadan TV commercials for “violating dignity, and disrespecting social customs, traditions and general morals,” as well as the illegal use of children, after receiving a number of complaints, particularly for Juhayna, Al-Ahram Beverages, Cottonil and Dice.

One of the banned commercials was from Birell. The ad showed a man taking a sly glance at another man at the urinal, with the tagline, “30 years of Birell and there are still guys like him.” The agency criticized the commercial, saying it violated general morals.