2010 Birell ad “Don’t try explaining anything to any woman…..they are all too stupid to understand…Drink Birrell non-alcoholic beer!” My arabic is not good enough to understand all the ads on tv here (Egypt) but this time I had someone with me who translated the ad I was watching…..I asked her 4 times (she’s Egyptian)if that was really what the ad said……

As a woman – a successful business woman at that – I am horrified, indignant..no, not indignant…..outraged is the word I am looking for that anyone or any company would have the nerve to say such a thing in public. Or maybe Birrell Company thinks that being outrageous is a good publicity stunt. Just goes to show they are the ones who don’t understand how utterly stupid their ad really is…..why? Because they are actually reflecting a prevailing sentiment here, which means very few people even notice it!

However, this ad is sexist and to have this on TV several times a day just strengthens the unconscious sentiment that already exists….SICK! Sexist, and leaves a bad taste, kind like vomit – just like Birrell Non-Alcoholic Beer! So in a sense the ad reflects the beer!!

Guess non of the guys at Birrell have mothers, sisters or wives….must be androids who dreamed up and approved the ad….I always knew there were aliens in Egypt but I thought they had all gone home (my apologies Aliens if this comparison hurts your feelings…..)

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8 Comments

  1. I am an Egyptian woman and the Birell ad is not just sexist it is degrading to every woman in the country and the world ! What it does is promote negative attitudes towards women of all ages, it promotes disrespect and ignorance !!! So to ALL the men that soooo love the ad and think it sooooo funny and hilarious why don’t u just picture ur sis or mother as the blond that the ad degraded, because that is how most men would look at her and u have no right to object, because as u said it’s hilarious lol

  2. The ads of Birell Egypt certainly went from chauvenistic to plain disgusting!!! The message is horrible, the idea is sick and the whole ads scheme seem tasteless, filthy and uncivilized!!! It surely insults and offends every viewer no matter who they are and what their status is!!!

    I really do not understand who is behind the decision of the creative plans for marketing this product. They certainly need to have their heads examined and then fired!!! As a marketing and brand image expert I think the brand and marketing people in Birell Egypt do not know what they are doing or worse they do!!! Additionally, their ads agency must be very amature in the business!!! What makes matters even worse, they are showing these horrific and shameful ads in multiple sat channels!!!

    Anyway, they are expensively and massively sabotaging their own product. I, for one, feel too disgusted by the current running ads to even look at, let alone buy, Birell!

  3. i have seen the add. the translation is incorrect (don’t explain to women, they just don’t understand) what you don’t get is that its a known saying that is just translated wrong into English due to language differences…it is similar to saying (parents just don’t understand), in the Arabic language it is meant as a joke and not as an insult and is perceived that way, no authority would allow airing of an add that carry’s sexiest or insulting comment on any Arab television channel

    hope this was helpful…

    1. “no authority would allow airing of an add that carry’s sexiest or insulting comment on any Arab television channel”

      where exactly do u live ??? haven’t u seen the DICE ads LOL

  4. With all due respect i think what is more horrifying, implicable and outraging is that a well educationed, successfull bright business woman like urself(thats what i understood from ur post) will let her self write a blog, attacking people so vigorously without being 100% sure of the ad. U heard one person translate and snap on judgment u just believe it….try getting sme1 to really translate it coz there is nothing, NOTHING in any birell ad. Calling women stupid…and if there was plenty of fine egyptian men would be out there telling them to stuff it….
    Plz lets all think before we believe 🙂 and let me also imply how ironic all this is after u have spoken about brain washing in ur previous comment!

  5. This was the interpretation/translation given my by an egyptian woman who was watching TV with me. My interpretation is not important – the interpretation of Egyptians of the advertising they see is important – advertising is a form of brainwashing. If this was the interpretation of an Egyptian woman then I am sure it was interpreted in a similar way by Egyptian men.

    How brainwashed are the people of the world? Well selling tanning cream to white people (because to look tanned is healthy and sexy) and the same company selling whitening cream to dark skinned people (because white is more beautiful and acceptable than coloured skin)…..I rest my case. It is inescapable.

  6. I just have one question. Are you sure the ad was saying women are too stupid to understand? Because there is a fine line between that, and plenty of other ads for products that are specifically targeted at one gender. Many of the ads for such products highlight how different the sexes are, how hard it is to communicate with them (think of all the ads that have really smart women while showing men as really stupid). So, I haven’t seen the ad, but I would take another look at it and confirm the translation. It may be akin to an ad telling women, men just don’t get it, or something. You know, forget that, just drink your beer!

  7. Hello, I am an EgyptianAmerican been living in American for 11 years now. I have not seen the commercial, but I believe some of the ignorant joke that some of the Egyptians have. Everything is fun and jokes to the extend that they forget the fine line between being funny, and just flat out rude. Whom ever created this commercial and approved, and the people who are watching it and not saying anything are responsible for the existence of this mentality.

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