‘Disappointed’: Beloved star speaks after DiDi Nudgy ad axed for breaching Ad Standards

Résumé détaillé

The unusual and beloved Nudgy character, seen in orange clothing and dancing on tables, has broken his silence after a panel found the campaign it breached Ad Standards.

The actor who played beloved role “Nudgy” in the Yes, I DiDi ad campaign for rideshare company DiDi has slammed the decision to remove the ads, following a finding that they breached the Australian Ad Standards.

In the campaign, the unusual character dons a vest and a pair of shorts as he dances on tables and on the roof of a car during a night out.

The ad, which took home five Effie Awards in October, has gained almost 5000,000 views on YouTube and racked up 184,000 streams on Spotify.

However, yesterday the Ad Standards Community Panel pulled the ad from screens, claiming the actor’s appearance could result in the “ridicule or humiliation of a person or people with disabilities”.

The panel found the Nudgy character was “clearly of short stature”, with his height emphasised by his dancing on tables and bar counters.

They said he was “the only person depicted who was of shorter stature, and also the only one in a strange outfit with a strange appearance”, arguing the treatment was “reminiscent of bygone activities where people of short stature were made to perform or were otherwise publicly ridiculed as a result of their relative size”.

DiDi Head of Brand Tim Farmer told NewsWire the panel’s findings cited historical treatment and exploitation of people living with a disability.

However, he claimed the assumption the rideshare company “vilified a disabled person” was far from the intention.

“We don’t want to pick a fight with the Ad Standards Panel – we are huge supporters of what they do,” he told NewsWire.

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