Irish Ad 'We Consent' Pulled After Backlash
Screenshot from the controversial 'We Consent' ad produced by Dublin Rape Crisis Centre Dublin Rape Crisis Centre

A controversial Irish ad sparked backlash for appearing to suggest that even grandparents should respect their grandchildren's wishes before showing affection. It was taken down from social media following widespread criticism.

'The video produced by the DRCC (Dublin Rape Crisis Centre) involving grandparents does not represent the views of the Government,' Jim O'Callaghan TD said. 'It was both inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents and has been removed by DRCC following my officials engagement with them.'

What Was the Ad About?

The ad starts with a back view of two children, a younger boy and an older girl. The boy excitedly opens the door and calls out to his grandparents, 'Granny! Granda!' before hugging them. The older girl stands back.

The boy then gets a hug from both grandparents and a kiss from his grandmother, while the older girl purses her lips and rolls her eyes. The video then cuts to a close-up of the grandparents, with the grandmother puckering her lips and the grandfather giving a toothy grin.

The teenage girl looks uncomfortable with the affection, and the ad cuts to the DRCC's 'We-Consent' logo along with the words and accompanying voice-over: 'Not everyone wants a hug. Even from the people who love them.'

'Awkward? Maybe. Important? Absolutely,' the ad also says before displaying the logos of DRCC, Community Foundation Ireland and Cuan, Ireland's statutory agency for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

The campaign received government funding, but the Department of Justice clarified that the videos were produced by DRCC and were not part of a Government advertising campaign. The Government's funding and involvement in the wider campaign have drawn criticism on social media.

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Social Media Reaction

AI technology consultant Graham dePenros called the video an ultra-liberal perversion of relationships within an Irish family unit. 'This video instructs grandparents to seek formal consent before hugging their own grandchildren; in the video it makes the nana and granddad look weird and odd and grotesque in a close-up,' dePenros said.

Jana Lunden, identified as the founder of the Natural Women's Council, announced on X that she had filed a complaint with the DRCC. Part of her letter read: 'This campaign represents a staggering failure of judgement and raises serious questions about the organisation's priorities, leadership and accountability.'

County Councillor Lorraine Hall defended the ad, saying it was clearly working if people were talking about it. 'Embarrassed for all the people that think that this is a literal rather than a figurative message... and have forgotten that advertising creativity is a thing... and also to state the obvious—advertising does work,' she wrote on X.

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD criticised the advert and the response to it, writing on X: 'Sad to see the Soc Dems defending the "don't consent to hugging your granny" advert.'

70% of Irish People Believe Consent Is a Problem

According to the DRCC's 2021 research, one in three Irish people are embarrassed to talk about sex. Some 70% also think there is a 'problem with consent in Ireland'. Another 60% said consent is everybody's responsibility and that government action is needed.

The DRCC launched 'We-Consent' in 2023 as a long-term national information and education campaign aimed at informing, educating and engaging the public about consent.

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