HSBC draws ire with Valentine's Day offer of laptops for him and kitchen goods for her
Controversy over sexist implications of advertising campaign comes amid widening debate about sexism and gender pay disparity
London — A Valentine’s Day special deal for HSBC staff in Hong Kong offering discounted laptops “for him” but vacuum cleaners and kitchen appliances “for her” has angered staff over the sexist implications of the campaign. The offer has drawn criticism from HSBC staff in Hong Kong and in London, where it was posted in an internal chatroom, according to a source who shared images of it with Reuters. The multipage advertisement, described as an “HSBC staff offer” and apparently produced by an external company, offers discounts on a range of goods to Hong Kong workers at Europe’s biggest bank. On pages festooned with pink heart drawings, the “for him” section offers discount laptop computers as well as a GoPro camera and wireless headphones, while the “for her” gifts include five different vacuum cleaners, a blender and a kitchen water tap. HSBC declined to comment. The controversy over the sexist implications of the advertising offer comes amid a widening debate about sexism and gende...
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