A racy commercial for a men’s grooming brand has been pulled from the air after a wave of “woke” viewers complained.
Beard oil company Wild Willies released a tongue-in-cheek ad featuring a man whose facial hair was so impressive from using their product that it made women’s underwear fall to the floor.
The three-minute commercial, which begins with a woman declaring “my husband pulls down my panties,” was released in May and was meant to be a risqué promotion aimed at men looking for fuller beards.
But Wild Willies says some viewers have been “angry”, calling it “vulgar and perverse” and demanding it be taken off screens.
“I think some viewers were also overly alert to the campaign message,” said Wild Willies president Steve Capitani.
Beard oil company Wild Willies said its ‘panty dropper’ commercial was pulled from the air due to complaints of ‘woke’
The ad centers on a wife who said her husband’s facial hair was so impressive from using the product that the underwear of women watching him fell to the floor.
‘Some people saw the words ‘panty-shitter’ used in the campaign and interpreted it to mean our products had that effect, so I can understand the concern.
“I would say that these people are overreacting and getting nervous. Our humor is not for everyone, just as other people’s humor is not for us.”
Since it aired on YouTube, the campaign has racked up nearly two million views and Capitani says it has helped boost sales by up to 20 per cent.
However, numerous television channels pulled the advert after receiving complaints and told the brand that they would have to change the “obscene” ad in order to air it.
An online campaign group called One Million Moms was so horrified that it launched a targeted campaign to get it removed from screens.
Outraged activists have branded the advert “highly inappropriate” and are calling for the “vulgar” marketing campaign to be cancelled.
On its website, One Million Moms titled the post: ‘Wild Willies Urged to Cancel Vulgar Commercial.’
The three-minute ad begins with a woman declaring: “My husband is a panty-dropper.”
The campaign has racked up nearly two million views on YouTube and helped boost sales by up to 20 percent.
The post reads: ‘Wild Willies offends conservative parents in new commercial, “Ready to turn you into a panty dropper.”
‘The company sells beard care products for men, but its current advertising takes an unnecessary and inappropriate approach.
“It is clear that Wild Willies has deliberately decided to produce controversial advertisements rather than healthy ones.”
The brand shared some of the complaints they had received from viewers and even those that had been broadcast on social media.
One complaint email the brand received read: ‘Both my son and I have practically permanent beards. I’m 58 and he’s 27.
‘We both recently learned about your product line from a friend who shared your ad for “panties that pull down.”
“We both watched it and agreed that it’s not clever, it’s not cute, it’s not funny. It’s sad in many ways and possibly perverse and certainly gratuitous if your product is as effective as you claim.
‘Some in the advertising world believe that any advertising, even bad advertising, is an effective way to gain attention and potential customers.’
One channel aired a complaint that read: ‘Channel 6 had a commercial yesterday and they think it was from the Wild Willies beard trimming commercial for men.
Wild Willies President Steve Capitani (center) said some viewers “got nervous” and called the ad “vulgar and perverse.”
Wild Willies describes the company as a “no-nonsense beard care and grooming brand that helps men on their journey with simple solutions.”
“It showed women losing their underwear and she was totally disgusted and couldn’t believe that things had sunk so low that she had to watch women losing their underwear on TV. She appreciates us all but that advert is obscene and please take it off the air, children can see it.”
Another channel told the brand: ‘Unfortunately we have had complaints about the creative of Wild Willies, would you have another commercial that does not reference ‘panty dropping’?’
A third channel reported: ‘I have some bad news, but we have received numerous complaints from viewers regarding the Manskape/Wild Willies advert and we are removing it.
‘(Unless) there’s another commercial that doesn’t have the “panties coming down” line or a video of the women with their panties coming down, we won’t be able to air it.’
However, the ad received a much more positive reception on social media, with most taking to Facebook to praise the clip as “funny” and “more like an episode of Modern Family than a commercial.”
“Best ad I’ve seen in a decade. I wanted to watch the full video and now I want to try this product,” wrote one user.
“I love all of Wild Willie’s amazing products. They make my beard feel, look and smell great. The ad is so funny by the way. I have the same effect on women,” commented another.
“Wait, is this an ad? For a second there I thought I was watching Modern Family. This is hilarious,” a third person said.