Swap 'ginger spawn' for beer campaign a hoax to fight prejudice

The Hakanoa “swap your ginger kids” for ginger beer campaign has turned out to be a hoax.

The promotion which branded ginger kids “ginger spawn” was a ruse to raise issues of bullying and discrimination.

Thousands of people responded to the campaign, which drew stinging editorials in the country’s big newspapers and comments from outraged groups, leading a small soft drinks company to make a confession.

“We did not create the ad. Ginger-haired parents of ginger-haired kids concerned by bullying of their own children did,” Rebekah Hay of Hakanoa Handmade Drinks says.

“These parents work in advertising and they decided to tackle the problem by getting it talked about in the most effective way they knew. They also wrote the press release to ensure it would be picked up by the national media.

“Hakanoa Handmade Drinks and the Little Grocer in Grey Lynn [which had supposedly agreed to ‘accept’ unwanted ginger children in lieu of ginger beer] agreed to front the ad and act as a lightning rod for the issue. And, boy, we were shocked," she says in a statement.

“To those who suggested that offering to swap a dark child for a case of dark ale (or versions thereof) would be just as offensive – yep, they’re absolutely right, and that was precisely the point we were making.” 

Ms Hay says the advert has been a success and, now the point about discrimination has been made, a handful of posters put up for the "mock" campaign will come down.

However, until the end of August consumers can still turn up to the Little Grocer and collect a free six-pack of ginger beer – without having to hand over any children.

Executive creative director of M&C Saatchi Dave King, who wrote the ad, says ginger kids take a lot of flack, some of it nasty.

“As you get older it continues, with everything from blood nut, Fanta pants, ginger balls through to gems like period head,” he said in the statement.

“But ... you learn to take it in your stride and it doesn’t bother you. You even join in and laugh at terms like ‘Ranga', short for Orang-utan.

"And then your eight-year-old ginger son comes home having just been set upon because of the colour of his hair and you want to do something to stop it.”

Mr King thanked Ms Hay and Alia of The Little Grocer for putting “their not so ginger balls on the line” to bring the issue to light.

“They’ve copped a lot of flack to help us get this issue raised in the media. Now that people have seen why they’ve done this, I hope everyone gets right behind them and Hakanoa Ginger Beer. They’re on our side,” he said.

Mr King and Ms Hay were unavailable for comment today.