Magnum Ice Cream has apologized for an
ad that describes same-sex hugs as a “guilty pleasure.”
In the ad, which ran in the UK on
Spotify, a man says: “A hug from my boyfriend, that's my guilty
pleasure. Because in my country, just a simple hug with the man I
love could send me to prison for more than 10 years.”
Some people on social media criticized
the ad, saying that the company was comparing eating ice cream to
being imprisoned for being a sexual minority.
Magnum initially defended the ad,
saying it was “to remind people that what is considered a guilty
pleasure isn't always what you would expect.”
In a statement to the UK edition of The
Huffington Post, Magnum apologized.
“Magnum has a history of championing
LGBTQ+ rights and Pride Month is a moment when lots of us celebrate
progress. We’re sorry for any offence caused by the advert, which
aimed to bring awareness to the injustices people still face around
the world,” the
company said.