A new Maltesers advert has made quite a stir after a disabled actor used a packet of chocolate to reenact a sexual gesture.
The ad, which aired during last night’s Paralympics, stars Storme Toolis who is chatting to her friends about a particularly “awkward” intimate experience.
But while it might have raised a few eyebrows, the advert is certainly for a great cause.
Maltesers worked with disability charity Scope for the ad, which aims to encourage everyday conversation surrounding disability and show more diversity on TV.
Their work has received an overwhelmingly positive response on social media.
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During the advert, Inbetweeners actor Toolis is sat with two friends chatting about an intimate experience.
She explains that she was “getting frisky” with a guy and had placed her hand on an intimate area when she began to have a spasm - but the guy “misinterpreted it”.
Her friend responds to say: “That’s so awkward.” But Toolis simply replies with a smile on her face: “He wasn’t complaining.”
She then shakes the packet of Maltesers and, sure enough, they jump out of the packet and on to the table in a rather, ahem, explosive manner.
The advert is one of three released by Maltesers, focusing specifically on the “lighter moments in the lives of those living with a disability”.
It comes after research found that 80% of disabled people felt underrepresented by TV and the media.
It has received an overwhelmingly positive response on Twitter, with some saying it gave them a giggle and others pointing out that it was great to see disability being “normalised”.
There were also a small number of people who believed the advert was a little too much, with some branding it “tacky and inappropriate”.
Lisa Quinlan-Rahman director of external affairs at disability charity Scope, said: “We know comedy is a great way to shine a light on the awkwardness that many people feel about disability.
“We hope Maltesers’ use of humour in these adverts will get people thinking differently about disability and help break down the barriers that many disabled people face.
She added: “Life isn’t always full of laughs and we’ve worked very closely with Mars to ensure the adverts reflect the experiences of disabled people.
“Disabled people come from an incredibly diverse array of backgrounds. They rarely see their lives reflected in marketing campaigns, the media, in advertising and in public culture.”
Emily Yates, presenter and disability advocate, said: “Disability is a subject that is often dealt with in a really serious manner, which of course is sometimes needed.
“For those of us with disabilities though, it is important to see the light side of our impairments and many of us have hilariously awkward and unpredictable stories to tell that have often got us noticed for all the wrong reasons.
“Disability needs to be normalised, understood and accepted and campaigns like the one Maltesers has created are dong a fantastic job of making sure perspectives are changing.”
What did you think of the new Maltesers advert? Let us know in the comments below.